title: Peak Serum AST Is a Better Predictor of Acute Liver Graft Injury after Liver Transplantation When Adjusted for Donor/Recipient BSA Size Mismatch (ASTi).
abstract: Background. Despite the marked advances in the perioperative management of the liver transplant recipient, an assessment of clinically significant graft injury following preservation and reperfusion remains difficult. In this study, we hypothesized that size-adjusted AST could better approximate real AST values and consequently provide a better reflection of the extent of graft damage, with better sensitivity and specificity than current criteria. Methods. We reviewed data on 930 orthotopic liver transplant recipients. Size-adjusted AST (ASTi) was calculated by dividing peak AST by our previously reported index for donor-recipient size mismatch, the BSAi. The predictive value of ASTi of primary nonfunction (PNF) and graft survival was assessed by receiver operating characteristic curve, logistic regression, Kaplan-Meier survival, and Cox proportional hazard model. Results. Size-adjusted peak AST (ASTi) was significantly associated with subsequent occurrence of PNF and graft failure. In our study cohort, the prediction of PNF by the combination of ASTi and PT-INR had a higher sensitivity and specificity compared to current UNOS criteria. Conclusions. We conclude that size-adjusted AST (ASTi) is a simple, reproducible, and sensitive marker of clinically significant graft damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, 630 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032-3784, USA.
authors.forename: Kyota
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2374-8356
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukazawa
authors.affiliation: Division of Liver and Gastrointestinal Transplant, Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Jackson Memorial Hospital, 1801 NW 9th Avenue, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
authors.forename: Seigo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.affiliation: Division of Solid Organ Transplantation, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine and Pain Management University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1611 NW 12th Avenue, D318, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
authors.forename: Ernesto A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Pretto