Impact of Donor Age on Liver Transplant Outcomes in Patients with Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure: A Cohort Study
- Author:
Jie ZHOU
1
;
Danni YE
;
Shenli REN
;
Jiawei DING
;
Tao ZHANG
;
Siyao ZHANG
;
Zheng CHEN
;
Fangshen XU
;
Yu ZHANG
;
Huilin ZHENG
;
Zhenhua HU
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- From:Gut and Liver 2025;19(3):398-409
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Background/Aims:Liver transplantation is the most effective treatment for the sickest patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). However, the influence of donor age on liver transplantation, especially in ACLF patients, is still unclear.
Methods:In this study, we used the data of the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. We included patients with ACLF who received liver transplantation from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2017, and the total number was 13,857. We allocated the ACLF recipients by age intogroup I (donor age ≤17 years, n=647); group II (donor age 18–59 years, n=11,423); and group III (donor age ≥60 years, n=1,787). Overall survival (OS), graft survival, and mortality were com-pared among the three age groups and the four ACLF grades. Cox regression was also analyzed.
Results:The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 89.6%, 85.5%, and 82.0% in group I; 89.4%, 83.4%, and 78.2% in group II; and 86.8%, 78.4%, and 71.4% in group III, respectively (p<0.001).When we analyzed the different effects of donor age on OS with different ACLF grades, in groupsII and III, we observed statistical differences. Finally, the cubic spline curve told us that the relative death rate changed linearly with increasing donor age.
Conclusions:Donor age is related to OS and graft survival of ACLF patients after transplanta-tion, and poorer results were associated with elderly donors. In addition, different donor ages have different effects on recipients with different ACLF grades.
