[Risk factors predicting late mortality after liver transplantation for benign end-stage liver disease].
OBJECTIVE
To find out the risk factors predicting long-term survival, and to explore the measures for further improving the survival outcome of whom underwent liver transplantation (LT) for benign end-stage liver disease.


METHODS
The common causes of late death after LT and risk factors were retrospectively analyzed in 221 consecutive patients, who underwent LT from October 2003 to June 2007 and survived more than one year. Twenty-six potential risk factors were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method, and those variables found to be univariately significant at P < 0.10 were entered into a backward step down Cox proportional hazard regression analysis to screen the independent risk factors influencing the recipient's long-term survival.


RESULTS
There were 28 recipients died one year later after LT during the follow-up period. The major causes of late mortality were related to infectious complications 5.0% (11/221), biliary complications 3.6% (8/221) and HBV recurrence/reinfection 1.4% (3/221). After Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, 5 covariables finally retained in the formula were: age (RR = 2.325, P = 0.009), ABO blood group (RR = 2.206, P = 0.015), cold ischemia time (RR = 3.001, P = 0.000), post-infection region (RR = 1.665, P = 0.007) and biliary complications (RR = 2.655, P = 0.004).


CONCLUSIONS
Age (≥ 60 years), ABO blood group (incompatible), cold ischemia time (> 12 h), infectious complications (lung infection) and biliary complications (diffuse biliary stricture) significantly impact patient's survival time.
Liver Transplant Center, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Transplantation Research Institute of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China.
Ying-Cai
YC
Zhang
Yang
Y
Yang
Qi
Q
Zhang
Hua
H
Li
Gen-Shu
GS
Wang
Jian
J
Zhang
Chi
C
Xu
Shu-Hong
SH
Yi
Hui-Min
HM
Yi
Chang-Jie
CJ
Cai
Min-Qiang
MQ
Lu
Gui-Hua
GH
Chen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis