Daytime variation in hepatitis C virus replication kinetics following liver transplant

<ns4:p><ns4:bold>Background:</ns4:bold> There is a growing interest in the role of circadian regulated pathways in disease pathogenesis.</ns4:p><ns4:p> <ns4:bold>Methods:</ns4:bold> In a cohort of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients undergoing liver transplantation, we observed differences in early viral infection kinetics of the allograft that associated with the time of liver transplant.</ns4:p><ns4:p> <ns4:bold>Results:</ns4:bold> A higher frequency of subjects transplanted in the morning showed a rebound in viral RNA levels (n=4/6) during the first week post-surgery. In contrast, no viral rebound was observed in seven subjects transplanted in the afternoon. None of the other parameters previously reported to influence viral replication in the post-transplant setting, such as donor age, cold-ischemia time and length of surgery associated with viral rebound.</ns4:p><ns4:p> <ns4:bold>Conclusions:</ns4:bold> These observation highlights a role for circadian processes to regulate HCV infection of the liver and warrants further investigation.</ns4:p>