Clinicalapplications of 57 aged marginal donor livers

Objective To explore the clinical efficacies of applying aged marginal donor liver. Methods From January 2015 to June 2018, clinical data were retrospectively analyzed for 199 adult liver transplantation donors and recipients. They were divided into two groups of aged (≥60 years) and appropriate age (<60 years). The prognosis of two groups was compared after a follow-up period of 1 year. And the aged group was further assigned into lower and higher fat infiltration groups according to the degree of fat infiltration in donor liver and compared the prognosis of two groups. Results No significant differences existed in initial, peak value and recovery time of transaminase (AST/ALT), peak value and recovery time of total bilirubin, glutamyl transpeptidase, alkaline phosphatase, international normalized ratio (INR), peak value of lactate, postoperative hospital stay, graft dysfunction, biliary/vascular complications, acute/chronic rejection or graft survival rate between aged and appropriate age groups post-transplantation. The aged group was further divided into lower and higher fat infiltration groups according to the fat infiltration rate (<20%, ≥20%). And significant inter-group differences existed in peak value and recovery time of AST/ALT, peak value of total bilirubin, glutamyl transpeptidase, lactate, postoperative hospital stay and graft dysfunction. The above parameters were significantly worse in higher fat infiltration group. Also the rejection rate was higher in high group at 1 year post-operation and no significant inter-group difference existed in biliary/vascular complications. In higher group, 4 patients showed graft dysfunctions during perioperative period. Two of them were discharged successfully after secondary transplantation and another 2 patients died. Conclusions On the premise of comprehensive evaluations of donor liver status and reasonable matching of recipients, aged marginal donor liver can be safely applied with excellent clinical outcomes. Severe fatty donor liver should be employed with caution. Hypertensive drugs, high serum sodium and long period of cold ischemia are also important influencing factors for aged donors. Key words: Liver transplantation; Fatty liver; Age factors