title: Outcomes of transplantation of livers from donation after circulatory death donors in the UK: a cohort study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Outcomes of liver transplantations from donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors may be inferior to those achieved with donation after brain death (DBD) donors. The impact of using DCD donors is likely to depend on specific national practices. We compared risk-adjusted graft loss and recipient mortality after transplantation of DCD and DBD livers in the UK.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study. Multivariable Cox regression and propensity score matching were used to estimate risk-adjusted HR.
  
  
  METHODS
  7 liver transplant centres in the National Health Service (NHS) hospitals in England and Scotland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults who received a first elective liver transplant between January 2005 and December 2010 who were identified in the UK Liver Transplant Audit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Transplantation of DCD and DBD livers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Graft loss and recipient mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 2572 liver transplants were identified with 352 (14%) from DCD donors. 3-year graft loss (95% CI) was higher with DCD livers (27.3%, 21.8% to 33.9%) than with DBD livers (18.2%, 16.4% to 20.2%). After adjustment with regression, HR for graft loss was 2.3 (1.7 to 3.0). Similarly, 3-year mortality was higher with DCD livers (19.4%, 14.5% to 25.6%) than with DBD livers (14.1%, 12.5% to 16.0%) with an adjusted HR of 2.0 (1.4 to 2.8). Propensity score matching gave similar results. Centre-specific adjusted HRs for graft loss and recipient mortality seemed to differ among transplant centres, although statistical evidence is weak (p value for interaction 0.08 and 0.24, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Graft loss and recipient mortality were about twice as high with DCD livers as with DBD livers in the UK. Outcomes after DCD liver transplantation may vary between centres. These results should inform policies for the use of DCD livers.
authors.affiliation: Cambridge Transplant Centre, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Callaghan
authors.forename: Susan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Charman
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Muiesan
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: Alexander E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Gimson
authors.forename: Jan H P
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: van der Meulen
keywords: EPIDEMIOLOGY; STATISTICS & RESEARCH METHODS; Transplantation