title: Graft fibrosis in patients with biliary atresia after pediatric living-related liver transplantation.
abstract: Although an LDLT can successfully treat biliary atresia (BA), some patients develop liver fibrosis or inflammation. To study the incidence and risk factors associated with these complications, we performed serial protocol biopsies. Twenty-four patients with BA who received a pediatric LDLT underwent protocol biopsies. All patients received standard tacrolimus-based immunosuppression and steroids. The last available biopsies were assessed. The mean age at the time of transplant was 4.8yr and the follow-up period ranged from 1.2 to 12.3yr. The GRWR ranged from 0.8% to 4.5%. The mean time from transplantation to the latest biopsy was 4.7yr. No complications occurred with the biopsy protocol. The last available biopsies for 13 (54%) and 4 (17%) patients indicated grade 1 and grade 2 portal fibrosis, respectively, and 14 patients (54%) had inflammation. No ductopenia was detected. A younger age at LDLT was significantly correlated with graft fibrosis (p=0.036). These results indicate that biopsy-proven fibrosis can be detected in patients with BA after LDLT, even in the context of normal liver function blood tests. Therefore, a serial biopsy is a safe and effective follow-up procedure for pediatric LDLT.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatric Surgery Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan. ueno@pedsurg.med.osaka-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Takehisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Natsumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ihara
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takama
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Sotaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mushiake
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukuzawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001656:Biliary Atresia / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007223:Infant; D007249:Inflammation; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016559:Tacrolimus