Impact of donor age on the results of liver transplantation in hepatitis C virus-positive recipients.
OBJECTIVE
Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-cirrhosis is the most frequent indication for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) among adults in most European and American transplant centers. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of donor age on graft survival among HCV-positive cirrhotic transplant patients.


METHODS
We performed an observational, retrospective study between March 1997 and December 2004, analyzing 340 liver transplantations. The patients were divided into 4 groups, considering whether the HCV infection was the indication for OLT and whether the age of the donor was older or younger than 48 years: group 1 (HCV, <48 years); group 2 (HCV, >48 years); group 3 (non-HCV, <48 years); and group 4 (non-HCV, >48 years).


RESULTS
A univariate analysis showed that posttransplantation graft survival was clearly influenced by recipient HCV serologic status (P = .018). However, no graft survival differences were found when the analysis variable was age (>48 or <48 years). When both variables were studied, a positive HCV serology did not modify graft survival when the donor age was <48 years (P = .32), but had a statistically significant negative impact when the age was >48 years (P = .02).


CONCLUSIONS
The use of older donors for HCV recipients resulted in worse graft and patient survivals in our study. This difference in survival was not present in non-HCV recipients or when grafts for HCV recipients were procured from younger donors. Donor age <30 years was a protective factor for graft survival among HCV recipients.
Pérez-Daga
J A
JA
Unit of HBP Surgery and Liver Transplantation, H. R. Carlos Haya, Malaga, Spain. perezdaga@hotmail.com
Ramírez-Plaza
C
C
Suárez
M A
MA
Santoyo
J
J
Fernández-Aguilar
J L
JL
Aranda
J M
JM
Sánchez-Pérez
B
B
González-Sánchez
A
A
Alvárez
A
A
Valle
M
M
Bondía
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000401:mortality / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D017741:Survivors; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*