Background: No consensus has been reached regarding comparisons of outcomes for patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who received living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) versus deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT). The aims of this study were to compare characteristics between LDLT and DDLT groups and to identify risk factors for patient survival.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the multicenter records of 192 HCV RNA-positive patients who underwent LT.

Results: Thirty-five patients received a DDLT and 146 received a LDLT. The median donor age and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score in the DDLT group were younger and lower than in the LDLT group (P<0.001). No significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding their baseline characteristics. Also, there were no statistically significant differences regarding use of induction agent, use of cyclosporin or tacrolimus, use of mycophenolate mofetil, steroid use for at least six months, HCV recurrence, or biopsy-proven acute rejection after LT. The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year patient survival rates were 66.7%, 63.0%, and 63.0% in the DDLT group and 86.1%, 82.3%, and 79.5% in the LDLT group (P=0.024), respectively.Recipient age ≥ 60 years, LDLT, and use of tacrolimus were factors that were positively associated with patient survival in multivariate analyses.

Conclusion: This study concludes that patient survival among LDLT patients is higher than among DDLT patients, which suggests that HCV patients should receive a LDLT if an appropriate donor is available.

CITATION INFORMATION: Kim J, Lee K.-W, Song G.-W, Jung B.-H, Lee H, Yi N.-J, Kwon C, Hwang S, Suh K.-S, Joh J.-W, Lee S.-K, Lee S.-G. Hepatitis C Patients in a Multicenter Study Who Received Living Donor Liver Transplants Are Likely to Have Increased Survival. Am J Transplant. 2016;16 (suppl 3).

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