Risk factors and prognosis for recurrent primary sclerosing cholangitis after liver transplantation: a Nordic Multicentre Study

AbstractObjectives: The risk for recurrent primary sclerosing cholangitis (rPSC) after liver transplantation is associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We assessed the frequency of rPSC and studied risk factors for recurrent disease with special focus on IBD. We also evaluated the importance of rPSC for prognosis.Materials and methods: All liver transplanted PSC patients in the Nordic countries between 1984 and 2007 (n = 440), identified by the Nordic Liver Transplant Registry, were studied. Data were retrieved from patients' chart reviews. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to calculate risk factors for rPSC and death.Results: Of the 440 patients with a follow-up time after liver transplantation of 3743 patient years, rPSC was diagnosed in 19% (n = 85). Colectomy before liver transplantation was associated with a reduced risk of rPSC (HR 0.49; 95% CI, 0.26–0.94, p = 0.033). Neither high IBD activity nor presence of IBD flares before or after liver transplantation was associated with ...