title: Prognostic factors for late mortality after liver transplantation for benign end-stage liver disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are increasing numbers of patients who survive more than one year after liver transplantation. Many studies have focused on the early mortality of these patients. However, the factors affecting long-term survival are not fully understood. This study aims to evaluate prognostic factors predicting long-term survival and to explore measures for improving the survival outcomes of patients who underwent liver transplantation for benign end-stage liver diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  The causes of late death after liver transplantation and potential prognostic factors were retrospectively analyzed for 221 consecutive patients who underwent liver transplantation from October 2003 to June 2008. Twenty-seven variables were assessed using 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 identify the independent prognostic factors influencing the recipients' long-term survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-eight recipients died one year after liver transplantation. The major causes of late mortality were infectious complications, biliary complications, and Hepatitis B virus recurrence/reinfection. After Cox analysis, the five remaining co-variables were: age, ABO blood group, cold ischemia time, post-infection region, and biliary complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The major causes of late mortality were infection, biliary complications and Hepatitis B virus recurrence/reinfection. Five variables (Age, ABO blood group, cold ischemia time, infection, and biliary complications) had significant impacts on patient survival.
authors.affiliation: Liver Transplantation Center, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510630, China.
authors.forename: Ying-Cai
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Gen-Shu
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Shu-Hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Hui-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Chang-Jie
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Min-Qiang
authors.initials: MQ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Gui-Hua
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D058625:End Stage Liver Disease / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies