Comparing Efficacy and Safety of Tacrolimus With Steroids or Monoclonal Anti-IL2R Antibody in Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Positive Liver Transplant Patients

A comparison will be made between two regimens which both include tacrolimus, one utilizing standard steroid administration and the second with daclizumab (MAB) avoiding steroids for both prophylactic administration and anti-rejection treatment.

Inclusion criteria

• Patients 18 to 65 years of age who will undergo primary orthotopic liver or split liver allograft transplantation for HCV-cirrhosis are eligible for the study.
• Patients receiving a cadaveric liver transplant with compatible ABO blood type can be included.

Exclusion criteria

• Recipient of multi-organ transplant
• Recipient of an auxiliary graft
• Patient is receiving ABO incompatible graft
• Patients requiring immunosuppressive treatment
• Patients requiring ongoing corticosteroid therapy.
• Patient has significant, uncontrolled concomitant infections and/or severe diarrhoea, vomiting, active upper gastro-intestinal tract malabsorption or active peptic ulcer.
• Patient or donor is known to be HIV positive.
• Patient is allergic or intolerant to study medication
• Patient is pregnant or breast-feeding.
• Patient has been previously enrolled in this study