摘要
Background There are increasing numbers of patients who survive more than one year after liver transplantation. Many studies have focused on the early mortality of these patients. However, the factors affecting long-term survival are not fully understood. This study aims to evaluate prognostic factors predicting long-term survival and to explore measures for improving the survival outcomes of patients who underwent liver transplantation for benign end-stage liver diseases. Methods The causes of late death after liver transplantation and potential prognostic factors were retrospectively analyzed for 221 consecutive patients who underwent liver transplantation from October 2003 to June 2008. Twenty-seven variables were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and those variables found to be univariately significant at P〈0.10 were entered into a backward step-down Cox proportional hazard regression analysis to identify the independent prognostic factors influencing the recipients＇ long-term survival. Results Twenty-eight recipients died one year after liver transplantation. The major causes of late mortality were infectious complications, biliary complications, and Hepatitis B virus recurrence/reinfection. After Cox analysis, the five remaining co-variables were： age, ABO blood group, cold ischemia time, post-infection region, and biliary complications. Conclusions The major causes of late mortality were infection, biliary complications and Hepatitis B virus recurrence/reinfection. Five variables （Age, ABO blood group, cold ischemia time, infection, and biliary complications） had significant impacts on patient survival.
Background There are increasing numbers of patients who survive more than one year after liver transplantation. Many studies have focused on the early mortality of these patients. However, the factors affecting long-term survival are not fully understood. This study aims to evaluate prognostic factors predicting long-term survival and to explore measures for improving the survival outcomes of patients who underwent liver transplantation for benign end-stage liver diseases. Methods The causes of late death after liver transplantation and potential prognostic factors were retrospectively analyzed for 221 consecutive patients who underwent liver transplantation from October 2003 to June 2008. Twenty-seven variables were assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and those variables found to be univariately significant at P〈0.10 were entered into a backward step-down Cox proportional hazard regression analysis to identify the independent prognostic factors influencing the recipients＇ long-term survival. Results Twenty-eight recipients died one year after liver transplantation. The major causes of late mortality were infectious complications, biliary complications, and Hepatitis B virus recurrence/reinfection. After Cox analysis, the five remaining co-variables were： age, ABO blood group, cold ischemia time, post-infection region, and biliary complications. Conclusions The major causes of late mortality were infection, biliary complications and Hepatitis B virus recurrence/reinfection. Five variables （Age, ABO blood group, cold ischemia time, infection, and biliary complications） had significant impacts on patient survival.
基金
This study was supported by grants from the Major State Basic Research Development Program （973 Program） of China （No. 2009CB522404）, the National Natural Science Foundation of China （No. 30772044, 30801112, 30972914, 30972915）, the Sci-tech Research Development Program of Guangdong Province （No. 2010B050700003）, and the Guangdong Natural Science Foundation （No. 9251008901000020）.
