title: Association between serum C-reactive protein and albumin levels and psychiatric comorbidities in liver transplant recipients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is the definitive treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease. Many post-OLT patients have psychiatric comorbidities. The relationship between psychiatric comorbidities and biological factors, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin levels, in OLT recipients has seldom been investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed medical charts of all patients aged over 18 who underwent orthotopic OLT at a tertiary medical center between September 2008 and July 2010 for serum CRP and albumin levels before and 1 month after OLT. Data for baseline characteristics, such as gender, age, and body mass index (BMI), were also collected. Patients who had a psychiatric consultation or took psychotropic medications during the hospitalization were categorized as "with psychiatric comorbidities."
  
  
  RESULTS
  Psychiatric comorbidities existed in 51 (33.8%) of 151 OLT recipients. By analysis of covariance adjusted for age and BMI, post-OLT CRP levels in patients with psychiatric comorbidities were significantly higher than those without psychiatric comorbidities (P = .015). For patients with psychiatric comorbidities, the paired t test showed significantly increased CRP levels at 1 month after when compared to the pre-OLT baseline levels (P = .044). Patients without psychiatric comorbidities had significantly decreased CRP levels at 1 month after when compared with the pre-OLT baseline levels (P = .009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated CRP levels may indicate activation of a systemic inflammatory process caused by psychiatric comorbidities in OLT recipients.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors: C-C
authors: CC
authors: Lin
authors: C-C
authors: CC
authors: Chen
authors: C-L
authors: CL
authors: Chen
authors: T-L
authors: TL
authors: Huang
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D015897:Comorbidity; D058625:End Stage Liver Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis*; D000075462:Serum Albumin, Human; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: C422455:ALB protein, human; D015415:Biomarkers; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D012709:Serum Albumin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D000075462:Serum Albumin, Human