OBJECTIVETo investigate the clinical manifestation and pathological features of chronic rejection (CR) and the management of CR after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).

METHODSFrom January 2004 to December 2006, there were 516 patients who had undergone OLT. All the clinical and pathological data were collected and retrospectively studied. Clinical manifestation, histopathological feature, diagnosis and anti-rejection treatment of CR were summarized and analyzed.

RESULTSThe incidence of CR was 2.3% (12/516), including 7 cases with early phases of CR and 5 cases with late phases of CR. The main pathological changes of CR were the vanishing bile duct syndrome and obliterative arteriopathy;and the early stage of CR were the damage of inter lobular bile duct, necrotic inflammation in central lobule, and inflammatory cells infiltration in portal area. Among 12 patients with CR, 7 cases with early CR were reversed by methylprednisolone (MP) pulse treatment and adjusting immunosuppressant dose, including 2 cases of whom were prescribed OKT3 treatment and 2 cases treated by ATG, and 5 cases with late CR underwent liver retransplantation (re-LT). Two patients died from infection, 1 case died from multiple organ failure in perioperative period after re-LT, another 2 cases were cured by re-LT, and the CR related mortality was 25.0% (3/12).

CONCLUSIONSChronic rejection following OLT is lack of typical clinical manifestation and pathological features, and the pathological changes can overlap and coexist. Post-transplant liver biopsy and graft specimen after re-LT is still "gold standard" to CR diagnosis. Some of early CRs can be reversed by early diagnosis and early treatment; for late CR recipient, re-LT should be considered.