Longitudinal analysis of transplant candidates with primary sclerosing cholangitis in an Asian liver transplant center

Abstract

Background Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a rare disease in Asia, and few studies have investigated the disease in this ethnicity, particularly in wait-listed patients for liver transplantation (LT). We aimed to investigate the prognostic factors and outcomes of wait-listed patients with PSC in an Asian transplant center. Methods Survival was retrospectively analyzed. Results Eighteen (10 male and 8 female) wait-listed patients with PSC, with a median age at diagnosis of 44.5 years, were included. Compared with men, women had significantly higher aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index scores (3.28 vs. 1.13; P = 0.012) and bilirubin levels (7.68 vs. 4.03 mg/dl; P = 0.043) and more often presented with decompensating events, including ascites [5 (63%) vs. 1 (10%); P = 0.043] and splenomegaly [8 (100%) vs. 4 (40%); P = 0.013]. Compared with the non-LT group, the LT group exhibited a superior survival rate for women (P = 0.004) but not for men. In the univariable analysis, significant risk factors associated with overall survival included malignancies with a hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of 5.53 (1.00–30.51) and esophageal varices (EV) [4.18 (1.05–16.61)], whereas female gender [25.00 (1.49–500.00)], LT [0.09 (0.01–0.80)] and EV [39.03 (2.92–521.96)] were indicated in the multivariable analysis. Conclusions For Asian wait-listed patients with PSC, EV and female gender were the risk factors related to overall survival, and LT was the protective factor. Our experiences suggested that LT brings more benefits in female patients. Strategies are needed to provide equivalent transplant benefits.