Published in:
01-10-2017 | Original Article
Liver Transplantation for Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis in the US: Temporal Trends and Outcomes
Authors:
George Cholankeril, Robert J. Wong, Menghan Hu, Ryan B. Perumpail, Eric R. Yoo, Puneet Puri, Zobair M. Younossi, Stephen A. Harrison, Aijaz Ahmed
Published in:
Digestive Diseases and Sciences
|
Issue 10/2017
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Abstract
Background and Aims
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a rapidly growing etiology of end-stage liver disease in the US. Temporal trends and outcomes in NASH-related liver transplantation (LT) in the US were studied.
Methods
A retrospective cohort study utilizing the United Network for Organ Sharing and Organ Procurement and Transplantation (UNOS/OPTN) 2003–2014 database was conducted to evaluate the frequency of NASH-related LT. Etiology-specific post-transplant survival was evaluated with Kaplan–Meier methods and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models.
Results
Overall, 63,061 adult patients underwent LT from 2003 to 2014, including 20,782 HCV (32.96%), 9470 ALD (15.02%), and 8262 NASH (13.11%). NASH surpassed ALD and became the second leading indication for LT beginning in 2008, accounting for 17.38% of LT in 2014. From 2003 to 2014, the number of LT secondary to NASH increased by 162%, whereas LT secondary to HCV increased by 33% and ALD increased by 55%. Due to resurgence in ALD, the growth in NASH and ALD was comparable from 2008 to 2014 (NASH +50.15% vs. ALD +41.87%). The post-transplant survival in NASH was significantly higher compared to HCV (5-year survival: NASH −77.81%, 95% CI 76.37–79.25 vs. HCV −72.15%, 95% CI 71.37–72.93, P < .001). In the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, NASH demonstrated significantly higher post-transplant survival compared to HCV (HR 0.75; 95% CI 0.71–0.79, P < .001).
Conclusions
Currently, NASH is the most rapidly growing indication for LT in the US. Despite resurgence in ALD, NASH remains the second leading indication for LT.