title: Long-term dynamics of hematological data and spleen volume in cirrhotic patients after liver transplantation-various dynamics depending on etiology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypersplenism is a common complication in cirrhotic patients, and liver transplantation would be one of the effective treatments. However, detailed dynamics, especially over a long term, are not fully understood. We investigated the long-term dynamics of hematological data and spleen volumes, as well as their correlation in cirrhotic patients who underwent liver transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied 53 cirrhotic patients who underwent liver transplantation at our institute and followed for more than 1 year. Hematological data were collected from medical records, while spleen volumes were determined by CT volumetry at 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60 postoperative months (POM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) Platelet (Plt) and hemoglobin (Hb) levels were gradually increased up to 18 and 10 POM, respectively, in contrast with white blood cells (WBC), which remained mostly unchanged from pretransplantation levels. (2) Spleen volume was sharply decreased in the first POM, then showed a slower but steady decline up to 48 POM. (3) Spleen volume was significantly correlated with hematological data, though the levels were generally weak (Plt: r = 0.433, p < 0.001; Hb: r = 0.233, p < 0.001; WBC: r = 0.217, p = 0.001). (4) Spleen volume was strongly correlated with all hematological parameters in HBV patients (Plt: r = 0.617, p < 0.0001; Hb: r = 0.401, p < 0.001; WBC: r = 0.387, p < 0.001), in contrast with that in other etiologies, which had generally weak correlations though some were statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We investigated the long-term dynamics of hematological data and spleen volume in cirrhotic patients after liver transplantation. Unique dynamics and correlations between them were found among the different etiologies investigated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nagoya University School of Medicine, 65 Tsuruma-cho, Showa-ku, 466-8550 Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishigami
authors.forename: Yoji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishizu
authors.forename: Yasuharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Onishi
authors.forename: Hideya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamei
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kiuchi
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirooka
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katano
authors.forename: Hidemi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goto
keywords: Hematological parameters; Liver transplantation; Long-term dynamics; Spleen volumes