Introduction: Traditionally, elevation of transaminases has been broadly used as markers of hepatic ischemic injury and crucial parameters for liver graft assessment. We wanted to assess if the outcomes of grafts from donors with high transaminases were inferior.

Methods: We retrospectively review the medical records of all primary liver transplants (n= 425) performed at UMass Medical Center between 1998 and 2013 using brain dead donors. 14 patients received livers from donors with AST or ALT>1,000U/L (HighTrans group) while 411 received from donors with AST/ALT lower than 1,000U/L (LowTrans group).

Results: When we compared donors from the high transaminase group with the low transaminase group there were no major differences in donor and recipient demographics. The peak of AST and ALT happened in the first 24 hours after the admission of the donor and significantly decreased at the day of procurement. The liver function tests of recipients of the HighTrans group normalized within the first week. The rate of primary non function, initial poor function, hepatic artery thrombosis, and use of blood products were similar. The graft and patient survival were similar (75% vs. 80%. 3 year graft survival p=0.48), and 72% vs. 82% 3-year patient survival, p=0.33).

Conclusions: We showed that selected liver grafts from donors with very high AST/ALT levels can be safely used. Judicious selection of these grafts, by eliminating additional risks factors, and adequate recipient matching are crucial to obtain acceptable outcomes.

CITATION INFORMATION: Martins P, Rawson A, Mahboub P, Movahedi B, Dolgin N, Bruggenwirth I, Bozorgzadeh A. Outcomes of Liver Grafts from Donors with Very High Transaminases. Am J Transplant. 2016;16 (suppl 3).

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