Excess body weight, liver steatosis, and early fibrosis progression due to hepatitis C recurrence after liver transplantation

摘要

AIM: To investigate how weight gain after OLT affects the speed of fibrosis progression (SFP) during recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection of the graft.METHODS: Ninety consecutive patients (63 males,median age 53 years; 55 with HCV-related liver disease),transplanted at a single institution, were studied. All were followed for at least 2 years after OLT and had at least one follow-up graft biopsy, performed not earlier than 1 year after the transplant operation. For each biopsy, a single,experienced pathologist gave an estimate of both the staging according to Ishak and the degree of hepatic steatosis.The SFP was quantified in fibrosis units/month (FU/mo).The lipid metabolism status of patients was summarized by the plasma triglycerides/cholesterol (T/C) ratio. Body mass index (BMI) was measured before OLT, and 1 and 2 years after it.RESULTS: In the HCV positive group, the highest SFP was observed in the first post-OLT year. At that time point,a SFP ≤0.100 FU/mo was observed more frequently among recipients who had received their graft from a young donor and had a pre-transplant BMI value ＞26.0 kg/m2. At completion of the first post-transplant year, a BMI value ＞26.5 kg/m2 was associated with a T/C ratio ≤1. The proportion of patients with SFP ＞0.100 FU/mo descended in the following order: female recipients with a high T/C ratio, male recipients with high T/C ratio, and recipients of either gender with low T/C ratio. Hepatic steatosis was observed more frequently in recipients who, in the first post-transplant year, had increased their BMI ≥1.5 kg/m2 in comparison to the pre-transplant value. Hepatic steatosis was inversely associated with the staging score.CONCLUSION: Among HCV positive recipients, excessweight gain post-OLT does not represent a factor favoring early liver fibrosis development and might even be protective against it.