Evaluation of donor hepatic iron concentration as a factor of early fibrotic progression after liver transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
Hepatic iron may act as an important co-morbid factor in non-hemochromatotic liver diseases, but whether it may favour fibrogenesis after liver transplantation is not known. To verify whether the hepatic iron concentration of the graft might play a role in the rapid fibrotic progression frequently observed after liver transplantation for chronic hepatitis C.


METHODS
The hepatic iron concentration, measured at the time of the donor operation, was retrospectively related to the histological follow-up data of 68 recipients (49 males, 19 females), of whom 38 were hepatitis C virus positive.


RESULTS
The hepatic iron concentration in donor liver biopsies ranged from 25 to 7,100 microg/gdw. After a median follow-up of 19 months, nine patients (five HCV positive) had a staging score >3. There was a significant association between a higher frequency of increasing staging and donor age >50 years. In female HCV-positive recipients, a graft hepatic iron concentration >1,200 microg/gdw was associated with fibrosis progression >0.15 fibrosis units per month (4/4 vs. 1/7, p<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The graft hepatic iron concentration may be one of the factors involved in early fibrosis progression due to recurrent hepatitis C in female recipients.
Liver Transplantation Unit, DPMSC, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
Pierluigi
P
Toniutto
Carlo
C
Fabris
Nadia
N
Bortolotti
Rosalba
R
Minisini
Claudio
C
Avellini
Elisabetta
E
Fumo
Mario
M
Pirisi
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012008:Recurrence; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014019:Tissue Donors
D007501:Iron