title: Older donor allografts are associated with poor patient survival after living donor liver transplantation for hepatitis B virus-related liver diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The significance of donor age in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has not been fully evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the data of 136 patients who underwent LDLT for HBV-related liver diseases from January 1999 to April 2004. The recipients were divided into an older donor group (donor age > or = 40) and a younger donor group (donor age < 40). Posttransplant clinical outcomes and survival were compared between two groups, and predictors of survival after LDLT were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline characteristics were not different between the two groups, except for more number of female donors and higher positive donor anti-HBc rate in the older group. The frequencies of acute rejection and early mortality after transplantation were similar in the two groups. The long-term survival rates for the older donor group were significantly lower than those of the younger donor group (1-, 3-, 5-year survival rate = 84%, 75%, 46% vs. 92%, 86%, and 83%, P = 0.03). Multivariate analysis showed that older donor age was the only independent risk factor associated with survival after LDLT (HR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.1-5.6, P = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that older donor allografts would be associated with poor patient survival after LDLT for HBV-related liver diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Do Young
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Moon Seok
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Joon Hyoek
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kwang Cheol
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Seung Woon
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.forename: Byung Chul
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Jae Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Joh
authors.forename: Suk Koo
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jong Chul
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rhee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000601:surgery*; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000401:mortality*; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens