Background: Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) is a non-invasive method for evaluating liver fibrosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between LSM and outcomes of living donor liver transplantation.
Methods: From January 1, 2014 to May 30, 2019, patients who received living donor liver transplantation were evaluated by Fibroscan. Baseline characteristics, preoperative donor LSM, and recipient 1-month and 1-year postoperative LSM were evaluated. Graft survival, patient survival, HCC recurrence, and rejection were analyzed with LSM values.
Results: Total 237 patients who received living donor liver transplantation were included, retrospectively. One hundred and seventy-four patients were infected with hepatitis B virus. Donor LSM was evaluated in 233 patients, 1-month LSM in 206 patients, and 1-year LSM in 62 patients. Either donor LSM, recipient 1-month, or 1-year LSM did not significantly affect graft survival and HCC recurrence. High donor LSM was associated with patient death, especially when donor LSM was more than 5 kPa (hazard ratio [HR], 3.58; P=0.004). Regarding T-cell mediated rejection (TCMR), high 1-year LSM was associated with high risk, especially when the 1-year LSM was more than 8 kPa (HR, 5.42; P=0.008; multivariate). One-year LSM (>8 kPa) was also associated with TCMR occurring after 1 year (HR, 7.01; P=0.047; multivariate). In hepatitis B virus patients, LSM had a greater influence on patient death and TCMR.
Conclusions: Preoperative donor LSM more than 5 kPa was significantly associated with patient death. Recipient 1-year LSM more than 8 kPa was associated with both TCMR over the entire period and TCMR 1-year after transplantation. This tendency was slightly more pronounced when patients were infected with hepatitis B virus.