Pretransplantation risk factors for graft loss after liver transplantation in cirrhotic patients; effect of cytomegalovirus serologic status

This study analyzes the effect of the preoperative variables of donors and recipients on graft survival after liver transplantation (LT). Preoperative data from a cohort of 122 cirrhotic patients who underwent primary LT were evaluated prospectively. The influence of these variables as risk factors for graft loss was assessed. During follow-up (median: 33 (19–59) months) there were 38 (31.1%) graft losses (22 deaths and 16 retransplantations). Variables that showed statistical association with graft loss on univariate analysis (P<0.150) were: positivity of the CMV serologic status of the donor (P=0.028), the UNOS score of recipient (P=0.048) and advanced donor age (P=0.124). When these variables were introduced into the multivariate study, the CMV serologic status of the donor was the only variable that was independently associated with graft loss (relative risk=2.97, 95% confidence interval=1.05–8.39; P=0.039). Donor CMV-seropositivity is a significant pretransplantation determinant for graft loss in liver transplant recipients.