Alexander Monto, MD

Clinical Professor

Dr. Monto is a hepatologist and gastroenterologist, a Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and Director of the Liver Clinic at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He is also a member of the U.C.S.F. Gastroenterology Faculty Practice on the Moffitt-Long campus. He received his M.D. from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City, completed his residency in internal medicine at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA, and his fellowship in gastroenterology at U.C.S.F.

He has been involved with the national VA Hepatitis C program since its inception in 2001, helping to organize many national conferences about hepatitis C and liver disease management. He has contributed to VA management recommendations related to hepatitis C, cirrhosis, and liver cancer during that time. He has been a co-author on more than 50 peer-reviewed publications related to liver disease, most of which focus on either hepatitis C disease pathogenesis or liver cancer. He studies how liver disease and cancer are influenced by clinical factors like alcohol use, obesity, HIV, and hepatitis C therapy.

Publications

  1. Ryan JC, Haight C, Niemi EC, Grab JD, Dodge JL, Lanier LL, Monto A. Hepatocellular carcinoma after direct-acting antivirals for hepatitis C is associated with KIR-HLA types predicting weak NK cell-mediated immunity. European journal of immunology 2024. PMID: 38700055


  2. Schwab ME, Decker HC, Monto A, Sawhney R, Corvera CU. Portal Vein Thrombosis After Transarterial Embolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. JAMA surgery 2023. PMID: 38150246


  3. Luk JW, Satre DD, Cheung R, Wong RJ, Monto A, Chen JY, Batki SL, Ostacher MJ, Snyder HR, Shui AM, Liao M, Haight CG, Khalili M. Problematic alcohol use and its impact on liver disease quality of life in a multicenter study of patients with cirrhosis. Hepatology communications 2024. PMID: 38315141


  4. Kim RG, Patel S, Satre DD, Shumway M, Chen JY, Magee C, Wong RJ, Monto A, Cheung R, Khalili M. Telehepatology Satisfaction Is Associated with Ethnicity: The Real-World Experience of a Vulnerable Population with Fatty Liver Disease. Digestive diseases and sciences 2024. PMID: 38217682


  5. Wong RJ, Yang Z, Ostacher M, Zhang W, Satre D, Monto A, Khalili M, Singal AK, Cheung R. Alcohol Use Patterns During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Veterans in the United States. The American journal of medicine 2023. PMID: 38052382


  6. Rogal SS, Taddei T, Monto A, Yakovchenko V, Patton H, Merante M, Spoutz P, Chia L, Yudkevich J, Aytaman A, Rabiee A, John B, Blechacz B, Cai CX, Gilles H, Shah AS, McCurdy H, Puri P, Jou J, Mazhar K, Dominitz J, Anwar J, Morgan TR, Ioannou GN. Hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis and management in 2021: a national VA quality improvement project. Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association 2023. PMID: 37460005


  7. Parikh RV, Hebbe A, Bar?n AE, Grunwald GK, Plomondon ME, Gordin J, Yeh RW, Jneid H, Swaminathan RV, Waldo SW, Monto A, Secemsky E, Hsue PY. Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes Among People Living With HIV Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Insights From the Veterans Affairs Clinical Assessment, Reporting, and Tracking Program. Journal of the American Heart Association 2023. PMID: 36789851


  8. Kaplan DE, Mehta R, Garcia-Tsao G, Albrecht J, Aytaman A, Baffy G, Bajaj J, Hernaez R, Hunt K, Ioannou G, Johnson K, Kanwal F, Lee TH, Monto A, Pandya P, Schaubel D, Taddei TH. SACRED: Effect of simvastatin on hepatic decompensation and death in subjects with high-risk compensated cirrhosis: Statins and Cirrhosis: Reducing Events of Decompensation. Contemporary clinical trials 2021. PMID: 33771685


  9. Sun B, Abadjian L, Monto A, Freasier H, Pulliam L. HCV cure in HIV coinfection dampens inflammation and improves cognition through multiple mechanisms. The Journal of infectious diseases 2020. PMID: 32157304


  10. Fuchs M, Monto A, Bräu N, Charafeddine M, Schmidt W, Kozal M, Naggie S, Cheung R, Schnell G, Yu Y, Richards K, Mullally V, Cohen DE, Toro D. Ombitasvir/Paritaprevir/Ritonavir and Dasabuvir ± Ribavirin for Chronic HCV Infection in US Veterans with Psychiatric Disorders. Journal of medical virology 2019. PMID: 31829433


  11. Bendich I, Takemoto S, Patterson JT, Monto A, Barber TC, Kuo AC. Preoperative Treatment of Hepatitis C Is Associated With Lower Prosthetic Joint Infection Rates in US Veterans. The Journal of arthroplasty 2019. PMID: 30930157


  12. Mehta N, Monto A, Yao FY. Screening for hepatocellular carcinoma to improve cancer-related mortality: Looking behind when we should be looking ahead. Gastroenterology 2018. PMID: 30543796


  13. Lee JY, Huo EJ, Weinstein S, Santos C, Monto A, Corvera CU, Yee J, Hope TA. Evaluation of an abbreviated screening MRI protocol for patients at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma. Volume 43 of Issue 7. Abdominal radiology (New York) 2017. PMID: 29018942


  14. Méndez-Lagares G, Lu D, Chen C, Terrault N, Segal MR, Khalili M, Monto A, Shen H, Manos MM, Lanier LL, Ryan JC, McCune JM, Hartigan-O'Connor DJ. Memory T Cell Proliferation before Hepatitis C Virus Therapy Predicts Antiviral Immune Responses and Treatment Success. Volume 200 of Issue 3. Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950) 2017. PMID: 29263212


  15. Hope TA, Aslam R, Weinstein S, Yeh BM, Corvera CU, Monto A, Yee J. Change in Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System Characterization of Focal Liver Lesions Using Gadoxetate Disodium Magnetic Resonance Imaging Compared With Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography. Volume 41 of Issue 3. Journal of computer assisted tomography 2017. PMID: 27801693


  16. Shen H, Monto A. Identifying Drug-Induced Liver Illness (DILI) with Computerized Information Extraction: No More Dilly-Dallying. Digestive diseases and sciences 2017. PMID: 27943016


  17. Ikram NS, Yee J, Weinstein S, Yeh BM, Corvera CU, Monto A, Hope TA. Multiple arterial phase MRI of arterial hypervascular hepatic lesions: improved arterial phase capture and lesion enhancement. Volume 42 of Issue 3. Abdominal radiology (New York) 2017. PMID: 27770162


  18. Waldron PR, Belitskaya-Lévy I, Chary A, Won J, Winters M, Monto A, Ryan J, Lazzeroni LC, Holodniy M. Genetic Variation in the IL-6 and HLA-DQB1 Genes Is Associated with Spontaneous Clearance of Hepatitis C Virus Infection. Volume 2016. Journal of immunology research 2016. PMID: 27340680


  19. Fraenkel L, Lim J, Garcia-Tsao G, Reyna V, Monto A, Bridges JF. Variation in Treatment Priorities for Chronic Hepatitis C: A Latent Class Analysis. Volume 9 of Issue 3. The patient 2016. PMID: 26518200


  20. Ho SB, Monto A, Peyton A, Kaplan DE, Byrne S, Moon S, Copans A, Rossaro L, Roy A, Le H, Dvory-Sobol H, Zhu Y, Brainard DM, Guyer W, Shaikh O, Fuchs M, Morgan TR. Efficacy of Sofosbuvir Plus Ribavirin in Veterans With Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 2 Infection, Compensated Cirrhosis, and Multiple Comorbidities. Volume 15 of Issue 2. Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association 2016. PMID: 27237429


  21. Cozen ML, Ryan JC, Shen H, Cheung R, Kaplan DE, Pocha C, Brau N, Aytaman A, Schmidt WN, Pedrosa M, Anand BS, Chang KM, Morgan T, Monto A. Improved Survival Among all Interferon-a-Treated Patients in HCV-002, a Veterans Affairs Hepatitis C Cohort of 2211 Patients, Despite Increased Cirrhosis Among Nonresponders. Volume 61 of Issue 6. Digestive diseases and sciences 2016. PMID: 27059981


  22. Fraenkel L, Lim J, Garcia-Tsao G, Reyna V, Monto A. Examining Hepatitis C Virus Treatment Preference Heterogeneity Using Segmentation Analysis: Treat Now or Defer? Volume 50 of Issue 3. Journal of clinical gastroenterology 2016. PMID: 26166145


  23. Saxena V, Monto A, Terrault N. Commentary: treatment of hepatitis C-related cirrhosis in the era of direct-acting anti-virals - authors' reply. Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics 2014. PMID: 24849150


  24. Somsouk M, To'o K, Ali M, Vittinghoff E, Yeh BM, Yee J, Monto A, Inadomi JM, Aslam R. Esophageal varices on computed tomography and subsequent variceal hemorrhage. Volume 39 of Issue 2. Abdominal imaging 2014. PMID: 24366107


  25. Saxena V, Manos MM, Yee HS, Catalli L, Wayne E, Murphy RC, Shvachko VA, Pauly MP, Chua J, Monto A, Terrault NA. Telaprevir or boceprevir triple therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C and varying severity of cirrhosis. Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics 2014. PMID: 24654657


  26. Ho EY, Cozen ML, Shen H, Lerrigo R, Trimble E, Ryan JC, Corvera CU, Monto A. Expanded use of aggressive therapies improves survival in early and intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma. Volume 16 of Issue 8. HPB : the official journal of the International Hepato Pancreato Biliary Association 2014. PMID: 24467780


  27. Zissen MH, Wang ZJ, Yee J, Aslam R, Monto A, Yeh BM. Contrast-enhanced CT quantification of the hepatic fractional extracellular space: correlation with diffuse liver disease severity. Volume 201 of Issue 6. AJR. American journal of roentgenology 2013. PMID: 24261358


  28. Cozen ML, Ryan JC, Shen H, Lerrigo R, Yee RM, Sheen E, Wu R, Monto A. Nonresponse to interferon-a based treatment for chronic hepatitis C infection is associated with increased hazard of cirrhosis. Volume 8 of Issue 4. PloS one 2013. PMID: 23637856


  29. Rempel H, Sun B, Calosing C, Abadjian L, Monto A, Pulliam L. Monocyte activation in HIV/HCV coinfection correlates with cognitive impairment. Volume 8 of Issue 2. PloS one 2013. PMID: 23437063


  30. Yee RM, Lehil MS, Rongey C, Shen H, Cozen ML, Monto A, Ryan JC. Impaired lymphocyte reactivity measured by immune function testing in untransplanted patients with cirrhosis. Volume 20 of Issue 4. Clinical and vaccine immunology : CVI 2013. PMID: 23389930


  31. Sun B, Abadjian L, Rempel H, Monto A, Pulliam L. Differential cognitive impairment in HCV coinfected men with controlled HIV compared to HCV monoinfection. Volume 62 of Issue 2. Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999) 2013. PMID: 23187938


  32. Monto A, Ryan J. Is IL28B genotype associated with more than one aspect of viral clearance? Volume 56 of Issue 6. Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) 2012. PMID: 23212777


  33. Yee HS, Chang MF, Pocha C, Lim J, Ross D, Morgan TR, Monto A. Update on the management and treatment of hepatitis C virus infection: recommendations from the Department of Veterans Affairs Hepatitis C Resource Center Program and the National Hepatitis C Program Office. Volume 107 of Issue 5. The American journal of gastroenterology 2012. PMID: 22525303


  34. Pillai SK, Abdel-Mohsen M, Guatelli J, Skasko M, Monto A, Fujimoto K, Yukl S, Greene WC, Kovari H, Rauch A, Fellay J, Battegay M, Hirschel B, Witteck A, Bernasconi E, Ledergerber B, Günthard HF, Wong JK. Role of retroviral restriction factors in the interferon-a-mediated suppression of HIV-1 in vivo. Volume 109 of Issue 8. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2012. PMID: 22315404


  35. Vermehren J, Yu ML, Monto A, Yao JD, Anderson C, Bertuzis R, Schneider G, Sarrazin C. Multi-center evaluation of the Abbott RealTime HCV assay for monitoring patients undergoing antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C. Volume 52 of Issue 2. Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology 2011. PMID: 21803650


  36. Yee HS, Currie SL, Tortorice K, Cozen M, Shen H, Chapman S, Cunningham F, Monto A. Retreatment of hepatitis C with consensus interferon and ribavirin after nonresponse or relapse to pegylated interferon and ribavirin: a national VA clinical practice study. Volume 56 of Issue 8. Digestive diseases and sciences 2011. PMID: 21633833


  37. Bacchetti P, Boylan R, Astemborski J, Shen H, Mehta SH, Thomas DL, Terrault NA, Monto A. Progression of biopsy-measured liver fibrosis in untreated patients with hepatitis C infection: non-Markov multistate model analysis. Volume 6 of Issue 5. PloS one 2011. PMID: 21637766


  38. Babik JM, Cohan D, Monto A, Hartigan-O'Connor DJ, McCune JM. The human fetal immune response to hepatitis C virus exposure in utero. Volume 203 of Issue 2. The Journal of infectious diseases 2011. PMID: 21288819


  39. Lee SR, Kardos KW, Schiff E, Berne CA, Mounzer K, Banks AT, Tatum HA, Friel TJ, Demicco MP, Lee WM, Eder SE, Monto A, Yearwood GD, Guillon GB, Kurtz LA, Fischl M, Unangst JL, Kriebel L, Feiss G, Roehler M. Evaluation of a new, rapid test for detecting HCV infection, suitable for use with blood or oral fluid. Volume 172 of Issue 1-2. Journal of virological methods 2010. PMID: 21182871


  40. Russell JS, Sawhney R, Monto A, Nanavati S, Davoren JB, Aslam R, Corvera CU. Periprocedural complications by Child-Pugh class in patients undergoing transcatheter arterial embolization or chemoembolization to treat unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma at a VA medical center. Volume 200 of Issue 5. American journal of surgery 2010. PMID: 21056149


  41. Bacchetti P, Boylan RD, Terrault NA, Monto A, Berenguer M. Non-Markov multistate modeling using time-varying covariates, with application to progression of liver fibrosis due to hepatitis C following liver transplant. Volume 6 of Issue 1. The international journal of biostatistics 2010. PMID: 20305705


  42. Monto A, Schooley RT, Lai JC, Sulkowski MS, Chung RT, Pawlotsky JM, McHutchison JG, Jacobson IM. Lessons from HIV therapy applied to viral hepatitis therapy: summary of a workshop. Volume 105 of Issue 5. The American journal of gastroenterology 2010. PMID: 20087331


  43. Chapko MK, Yee HS, Monto A, Dominitz JA. Cost-effectiveness of hepatitis A vaccination for individuals with chronic hepatitis C. Volume 28 of Issue 7. Vaccine 2009. PMID: 20044051


  44. Tsui JI, Whooley MA, Monto A, Seal K, Tien PC, Shlipak M. Association of hepatitis C virus seropositivity with inflammatory markers and heart failure in persons with coronary heart disease: data from the Heart and Soul study. Volume 15 of Issue 5. Journal of cardiac failure 2009. PMID: 19477406


  45. Sewell JL, Stick KM, Monto A. Hepatocellular carcinoma after sustained virologic response in hepatitis C patients without cirrhosis on a pretreatment liver biopsy. Volume 21 of Issue 2. European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology 2009. PMID: 19212213


  46. Bonkovsky HL, Tice AD, Yapp RG, Bodenheimer HC, Monto A, Rossi SJ, Sulkowski MS. Efficacy and safety of peginterferon alfa-2a/ribavirin in methadone maintenance patients: randomized comparison of direct observed therapy and self-administration. Volume 103 of Issue 11. The American journal of gastroenterology 2008. PMID: 18684176


  47. Chang TT, Sawhney R, Monto A, Davoren JB, Kirkland JG, Stewart L, Corvera CU. Implementation of a multidisciplinary treatment team for hepatocellular cancer at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center improves survival. Volume 10 of Issue 6. HPB : the official journal of the International Hepato Pancreato Biliary Association 2008. PMID: 19088925


  48. Monto A, Currie S, Wright TL. Liver disease in injection drug users with hepatitis C, with and without HIV coinfection. Volume 27 of Issue 2. Journal of addictive diseases 2008. PMID: 18681191


  49. Currie SL, Ryan JC, Tracy D, Wright TL, George S, McQuaid R, Kim M, Shen H, Monto A. A prospective study to examine persistent HCV reinfection in injection drug users who have previously cleared the virus. Volume 93 of Issue 1-2. Drug and alcohol dependence 2007. PMID: 17977668


  50. Seal KH, Monto A, Dove L, Shen H, Vittinghoff E, Tracy D, Miller E, Lau E, Wright TL. The association of human immunodeficiency virus infection with spontaneously resolved hepatitis C virus infection and level of viremia among injection drug users. Volume 52 of Issue 12. Digestive diseases and sciences 2007. PMID: 17443407


  51. Monto A, Kakar S, Dove LM, Bostrom A, Miller EL, Wright TL. Contributions to hepatic fibrosis in HIV-HCV coinfected and HCV monoinfected patients. Volume 101 of Issue 7. The American journal of gastroenterology 2006. PMID: 16863554


  52. Hui CK, Lau E, Monto A, Kim M, Luk JM, Poon RT, Leung N, Lo CM, Fan ST, Lau GK, Wright TL. Natural history of patients with recurrent chronic hepatitis C virus and occult hepatitis B co-infection after liver transplantation. Volume 6 of Issue 7. American journal of transplantation : official journal of the American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons 2006. PMID: 16827860


  53. Huang H, Shiffman ML, Cheung RC, Layden TJ, Friedman S, Abar OT, Yee L, Chokkalingam AP, Schrodi SJ, Chan J, Catanese JJ, Leong DU, Ross D, Hu X, Monto A, McAllister LB, Broder S, White T, Sninsky JJ, Wright TL. Identification of two gene variants associated with risk of advanced fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Volume 130 of Issue 6. Gastroenterology 2006. PMID: 16697732


  54. Dove L, Phung Y, Bzowej N, Kim M, Monto A, Wright TL. Viral evolution of hepatitis C in injection drug users. Journal of viral hepatitis 2005. PMID: 16255758


  55. Hui CK, Lau E, Wu H, Monto A, Kim M, Luk JM, Lau GK, Wright TL. Fibrosis progression in chronic hepatitis C patients with occult hepatitis B co-infection. Volume 35 of Issue 2. Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology 2005. PMID: 16103008


  56. Monto A, Dove LM, Bostrom A, Kakar S, Tien PC, Wright TL. Hepatic steatosis in HIV/hepatitis C coinfection: prevalence and significance compared with hepatitis C monoinfection. Volume 42 of Issue 2. Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) 2005. PMID: 16025515


  57. Monto A, Patel K, Bostrom A, Pianko S, Pockros P, McHutchison JG, Wright TL. Risks of a range of alcohol intake on hepatitis C-related fibrosis. Volume 39 of Issue 3. Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) 2004. PMID: 14999703


  58. Hui CK, Monto A, Belaye T, Lau E, Wright TL. Outcomes of interferon alpha and ribavirin treatment for chronic hepatitis C in patients with normal serum aminotransaminases. Volume 52 of Issue 11. Gut 2003. PMID: 14570736


  59. Monto A, Alonzo J, Watson JJ, Grunfeld C, Wright TL. Steatosis in chronic hepatitis C: relative contributions of obesity, diabetes mellitus, and alcohol. Volume 36 of Issue 3. Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) 2002. PMID: 12198667


  60. Monto A. Hepatitis C and steatosis. Volume 13 of Issue 1. Seminars in gastrointestinal disease 2002. PMID: 11944633


  61. Monto A, Wright TL. The epidemiology and prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma. Seminars in oncology 2001. PMID: 11685737


  62. Chung RT, Monto A, Dienstag JL, Kaplan LM. Mutations in the NS5A region do not predict interferon-responsiveness in american patients infected with genotype 1b hepatitis C virus. Volume 58 of Issue 4. Journal of medical virology 1999. PMID: 10421401