title: Outcome after liver re-transplantation in patients with recurrent chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: Long-term outcome after liver retransplantation for recurrent hepatitis C has been reported to be inferior to other indications. The identification of factors associated which improved long-term results may help identify hepatitis C positive patients who benefit from liver retransplantation. Outcome after liver retransplantation for recurrent hepatitis C was analyzed in 18 patients (group 1) and compared with hepatitis C positive patients undergoing liver retransplantation for initial nonfunction (group 2, n=11) and patients with liver retransplantation for other indications (group 3, n=169). Five-year patient survival following retransplantation for groups 1, 2 and 3 was 59% 84% and 60%. Increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and serum bilirubin, as well as white cell count and MELD score at day of retransplantation were associated with impaired patient outcome. Five-year survival after retransplantation in patients with recurrent hepatitis C is similar to that in patients undergoing liver retransplantation for other indications. Our analysis showed MELD score, bilirubin, ALT levels and white cell counts preorthotopic liver transplantation are important predictive factors for outcome. This observational study may help select patients and identify the optimal time-point of liver retransplantation in ''Hepatitis C'' virus positive patients in the future.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Allgemein-, Viszeral-, und Transplantationschirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Charité, Campus Virchow - Klinikum, Humboldt- Universität, Berlin, Germany. marcus.bahra@charite.de
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bahra
authors.forename: Ulf Peter
authors.initials: UP
authors.lastname: Neumann
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jacob
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Neuhaus
authors.forename: Jan Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Langrehr
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neuhaus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012008:Recurrence; D012086:Reoperation; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D001663:Bilirubin