title: Predictive factors of early graft loss in living donor liver transplantation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Living donor liver transplantation has become an alternative to reduce the lack of organ donation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify factors predictive of early graft loss in the first 3 months after living donor liver transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-eight adults submitted to living donor liver transplantation were divided into group I with 62 (79.5%) patients with graft survival longer than 3 months, and group II with 16 (20.5%) patients who died and/or showed graft failure within 3 months after liver transplantation. The variables analyzed were gender, age, etiology of liver disease, Child-Pugh classification, model of end-stage liver disease (MELD score), pretransplantation serum sodium level, and graft weight-to-recipient body weight (GRBW) ratio. The GRBW ratio was categorized into < 0.8 and MELD score into >18. The chi-square test, Student t-test and uni- and multivariate analysis were used for the evaluation of risk factors for early graft loss.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MELD score <18 (P<0.001) and serum sodium level > 135 mEq/L (P = 0.03) were higher in group II than in group I. In the multivariate analysis MELD scores > 18 (P<0.001) and GRBW ratios < 0.8 (P<0.04) were significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MELD scores >18 and GRBW < 0.8 ratios are associated with higher probability of graft failure after living donor liver transplantation.
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital do Servidor Público Estadual, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors: Rogério Camargo Pinheiro
authors: RC
authors: Alves
authors: Eduardo Antunes da
authors: EA
authors: Fonseca
authors: Carla Adriana Loureiro de
authors: CA
authors: Mattos
authors: Sofia
authors: S
authors: Abdalla
authors: José Eduardo
authors: JE
authors: Gonçalves
authors: Jaques
authors: J
authors: Waisberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D017093:Liver Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012964:Sodium