Ethical and Scientific Issues Surrounding Solid Organ Transplantation in Hiv-Positive Patients: Absence of Evidence Is Not Evidence of Absence

End-stage liver disease is emerging as a leading cause of death among HIV-positive patients. Historically, an HIV diagnosis was a contraindication for a liver transplant; however, because of the efficacy of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), HIV-positive patients have one-year, two-year,...

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Main Authors: Timothy Christie, Bashir Jiwani, Getnet Asrat, Valentina Montessori, Richard Mathias, Julio Montaner
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2006-01-01
Series:Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2006/286301
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author Timothy Christie
Bashir Jiwani
Getnet Asrat
Valentina Montessori
Richard Mathias
Julio Montaner
author_facet Timothy Christie
Bashir Jiwani
Getnet Asrat
Valentina Montessori
Richard Mathias
Julio Montaner
author_sort Timothy Christie
collection DOAJ
description End-stage liver disease is emerging as a leading cause of death among HIV-positive patients. Historically, an HIV diagnosis was a contraindication for a liver transplant; however, because of the efficacy of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), HIV-positive patients have one-year, two-year, and three-year post-transplantation survival rates similar to that of HIV-negative patients. Based on this evidence, HIV-positive patients are now considered eligible for transplantation. However, newly emerging guidelines include the stipulation that HIV-positive patients must be on HAART to be placed on a waiting list for transplantation. The purpose of the present paper is to evaluate the scientific and ethical probity of requiring HIV-positive patients to be on HAART as a condition for being on a liver transplant waiting list. It is argued that the emphasis should be placed on the probability of post-transplantation HAART tolerance, and that concerns about pretransplantation HAART tolerance are of secondary importance.
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publishDate 2006-01-01
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spelling doaj-art-2247f1f43bc44d07a7a35d52beb5e7b92025-08-20T02:04:06ZengWileyCanadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology1712-95322006-01-01171151810.1155/2006/286301Ethical and Scientific Issues Surrounding Solid Organ Transplantation in Hiv-Positive Patients: Absence of Evidence Is Not Evidence of AbsenceTimothy Christie0Bashir Jiwani1Getnet Asrat2Valentina Montessori3Richard Mathias4Julio Montaner5British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, CanadaUniversity of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaBritish Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, CanadaBritish Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, CanadaUniversity of British Columbia, CanadaBritish Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, CanadaEnd-stage liver disease is emerging as a leading cause of death among HIV-positive patients. Historically, an HIV diagnosis was a contraindication for a liver transplant; however, because of the efficacy of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), HIV-positive patients have one-year, two-year, and three-year post-transplantation survival rates similar to that of HIV-negative patients. Based on this evidence, HIV-positive patients are now considered eligible for transplantation. However, newly emerging guidelines include the stipulation that HIV-positive patients must be on HAART to be placed on a waiting list for transplantation. The purpose of the present paper is to evaluate the scientific and ethical probity of requiring HIV-positive patients to be on HAART as a condition for being on a liver transplant waiting list. It is argued that the emphasis should be placed on the probability of post-transplantation HAART tolerance, and that concerns about pretransplantation HAART tolerance are of secondary importance.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2006/286301
spellingShingle Timothy Christie
Bashir Jiwani
Getnet Asrat
Valentina Montessori
Richard Mathias
Julio Montaner
Ethical and Scientific Issues Surrounding Solid Organ Transplantation in Hiv-Positive Patients: Absence of Evidence Is Not Evidence of Absence
Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology
title Ethical and Scientific Issues Surrounding Solid Organ Transplantation in Hiv-Positive Patients: Absence of Evidence Is Not Evidence of Absence
title_full Ethical and Scientific Issues Surrounding Solid Organ Transplantation in Hiv-Positive Patients: Absence of Evidence Is Not Evidence of Absence
title_fullStr Ethical and Scientific Issues Surrounding Solid Organ Transplantation in Hiv-Positive Patients: Absence of Evidence Is Not Evidence of Absence
title_full_unstemmed Ethical and Scientific Issues Surrounding Solid Organ Transplantation in Hiv-Positive Patients: Absence of Evidence Is Not Evidence of Absence
title_short Ethical and Scientific Issues Surrounding Solid Organ Transplantation in Hiv-Positive Patients: Absence of Evidence Is Not Evidence of Absence
title_sort ethical and scientific issues surrounding solid organ transplantation in hiv positive patients absence of evidence is not evidence of absence
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2006/286301
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