title: Acute liver transplant rejection: incidence and the role of high-doses steroids.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of acute rejection (AR), and the efficacy of high doses of steroids during induction of immunosuppression for AR treatment. Fifty-five patients (33.5%) experienced AR episodes in our series; but, there were no deaths or retransplantations related to AR. The median time from liver transplantation to AR was 18.5 days (range, 2-351 days). In the group with the initial dose of methylprednisolone (MP) </=0.75 g, AR occurred in 32.9% of patients; and in the group with higher dose of MP, 43.6% (P > 0.05). After 1-year observation, liver function tests were similar in both AR and non-AR groups. The only biochemical parameter that was significantly lower in the non-AR group was the aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Liver function tests determined after 1-year follow-up were not significantly different between the groups with AR treated with doses of MP lower versus higher than 1.25 g. However, liver function tests in the group treated for AR with higher doses of MP were slightly better than in the remaining subjects. Recurrence of AR occurred in 5 cases in the group with lower doses of MP (</=1.25 g), and in 2 cases in the group with higher doses of MP (>1.25 g). A relatively low dose of MP was effective to treat AR. The tendency of AR patients treated with higher dose of MP to display better liver function needs further investigation. However, AR does not seem to affect later liver function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Transplant Medicine and Internal Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ziolkowski
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paczek
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niewczas
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Senatorski
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Oldakowska-Jedynak
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wyzgal
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Foroncewicz
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mucha
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zegarska
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nyckowski
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zieniewicz
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Patkowski
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Krawczyk
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ziarkiewicz-Wroblewska
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gornicka
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones