Table 1.
Characteristics of liver transplant recipients after propensity score matching.
| Total (n = 222) |
Low MELD (n = 111) |
High MELD (n = 111) |
p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 54.0 (47.0–61.0) | 55.0 (48.0–60.0) | 54.0 (46.5–62.0) | 0.758 |
| Male sex | 135 (60.8) | 68 (61.3) | 67 (60.4) | 0.891 |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 23.6 (21.6–26.2) | 23.4 (21.7–25.7) | 23.9 (21.6–27.4) | 0.250 |
| Underlying liver disease | ||||
| Alcoholic | 84 (37.8) | 37 (33.3) | 47 (42.3) | 0.213 |
| Viral hepatitis | 79 (35.6) | 38 (34.2) | 41 (36.9) | 0.779 |
| Others | 59 (26.6) | 36 (32.4) | 23 (20.7) | 0.068 |
| Hypertension | 47 (21.2) | 20 (18.0) | 27 (24.3) | 0.324 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 77 (34.7) | 35 (31.5) | 42 (37.8) | 0.398 |
| Cardiovascular disease | 21 (9.5) | 11 (9.9) | 10 (9.0) | > 0.999 |
| HCC | 55 (24.8) | 27 (24.3) | 28 (25.2) | 0.876 |
| Milan criteria | 0.984 | |||
| Within | 18 (8.1) | 18 (16.2) | 19 (17.1) | |
| Above | 167 (75.2) | 9 (8.1) | 9 (8.1) | |
| N/A | 37 (16.7) | 84 (75.7) | 83 (74.8) | |
| MELD score | 29.5 (15.0–40.0) | 15.0 (10.5–20.0) | 40.0 (33.0–40.0) | < 0.001 |
| CTP score | < 0.001 | |||
| A | 45 (20.3) | 43 (38.7) | 2 (1.8) | |
| B | 70 (31.5) | 45 (40.5) | 25 (22.5) | |
| C | 107 (48.2) | 23 (20.7) | 84 (75.7) | |
| Ascites | 139 (62.9) | 62 (55.9) | 77 (70.0) | 0.042 |
| Esophageal varix | 107 (48.6) | 57 (51.4) | 50 (45.9) | 0.498 |
| Encephalopathy | 89 (40.3) | 24 (21.6) | 65 (59.1) | < 0.001 |
| Donor age, years | 41.0 ± 15.1 | 35.5 ± 11.9 | 46.4 ± 16.1 | < 0.001 |
| Donor sex, male | 138 (62.2) | 67 (60.4) | 71 (64.0) | 0.678 |
| Donor BMI, kg/m2 | 23.2 (21.3–25.6) | 23.5 (21.2–25.3) | 23.0 (21.4–25.8) | 0.813 |
| ABO incompatibility | 21 (9.5) | 11 (9.9) | 10 (9.0) | 0.819 |
| Desensitization | ||||
| Rituximab | 24 (10.8) | 12 (10.8) | 12 (10.8) | > 0.999 |
| Plasma exchange | 23 (10.4) | 12 (10.8) | 11 (9.9) | > 0.999 |
| Immunoglobulin | 27 (12.2) | 9 (8.1) | 18 (16.2) | 0.100 |
| Living donor | 149 (67.1) | 108 (97.3) | 41 (36.9) | < 0.001 |
| GRWR < 0.8 | 12 (8.0) | 7 (6.5) | 5 (11.9) | 0.445 |
| Cold ischemic time, hr | 2.5 (1.9–4.7) | 2.1 (1.6–2.5) | 4.6 (2.5–5.6) | < 0.001 |
| Operation time, hr | 8.7 (7.2–10.7) | 9.7 (8.3–11.0) | 7.7 (6.6–9.8) | < 0.001 |
| RBC transfusion, pack | 6.0 (3.0–10.0) | 4.0 (2.0–7.0) | 9.0 (6.0–12.0) | < 0.001 |
| Splenectomy | 15 (6.8) | 8 (7.2) | 7 (6.3) | > 0.999 |
| Overall mortality | 43 (19.4) | 10 (9.0) | 33 (29.7) | < 0.001 |
| 1-year mortality | 33 (14.9) | 6 (5.4) | 27 (24.3) | < 0.001 |
| Infection-related death | 16 (7.2) | 1 (0.9) | 15 (13.5) | 0.001 |
| Overall BSI | 71 (32.0) | 29 (26.1) | 42 (37.8) | 0.061 |
| 1-year BSI | 63 (28.4) | 24 (21.6) | 39 (35.1) | 0.037 |
| CMV infection* | 98 (51.9) | 42 (38.9) | 56 (69.1) | < 0.001 |
| IPA | 11 (5.0) | 0 (0.0) | 11 (9.9) | 0.002 |
| Graft failure | 12 (5.4) | 3 (2.7) | 9 (8.1) | 0.075 |
Data are presented as number (%) or median (interquartile range).
* CMV infection was analyzed after excluding cases with pre-transplant CMV viremia.
BMI, body mass index; CTP, Child–Turcotte–Pugh; GRWR, graft-to-recipient weight ratio; HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; MELD, model for end-stage liver disease; RBC, red blood cell; BSI, bloodstream infection; CMV, cytomegalovirus; IPA; invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.