Table 1. Baseline characteristics of the liver transplantation (LT) recipients.
| Total (n = 145) | Post-LT non-sarcopenia (n = 79) | Post-LT sarcopenia (n = 66) | p-value a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recipients | ||||
| Male (%) | 116 (80) | 56 (71) | 60 (91) | 0.003 |
| Age (years) | 50.2 ± 7.9 | 50.2 ± 7.8 | 50.1 ± 8.1 | 0.943 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 24.0 ± 3.1 | 24.6 ± 3.0 | 23.3 ± 3.1 | 0.015 |
| Child-Pugh score | 7.7 ± 2.6 | 7.4 ± 2.5 | 8.2 ± 2.8 | 0.080 |
| MELD score | 14.4 ± 8.0 | 13.8 ± 8.5 | 14.9 ± 7.4 | 0.419 |
| Creatinine (mg/dl) | 0.98 ± 0.69 | 1.05 ± 0.85 | 0.89 ± 0.40 | 0.152 |
| Fasting glucose (mg/dl) | 107.1 ± 34.9 | 102 ± 23 | 113 ± 45 | 0.096 |
| DM (n, %) | 32 (22) | 16 (20) | 16 (24) | 0.688 |
| Pathology necessitating transplantation (HBV-associated, n, %) | 122 (84) | 71 (90) | 51 (77) | 0.043 |
| HCC (n, %) | 96 (66) | 54 (69) | 42 (64) | 0.599 |
| Hypertension (n, %) | 41 (28) | 25 (32) | 16 (24) | 0.359 |
| Dyslipidemia (n, %) | 6 (4) | 2 (2.5) | 4 (6) | 0.411 |
| Pre-LT sarcopenia (n, %) | 52 (36) | 0 (0) | 52 (79) | <0.001 |
| Donors | ||||
| Male (%) | 84 (58) | 47 (62) | 37 (59) | 0.730 |
| Age (years) | 31.4 ± 11.1 | 30.6 ± 10.6 | 32.4 ± 11.6 | 0.334 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 22.9 ± 3.2 | 23.3 ± 3.8 | 22.4 ± 2.4 | 0.077 |
| Presence of fatty change (n, %) | 70 (48) | 35 (44) | 35 (53) | 0.320 |
| Living donor (n, %) | 116 (80) | 66 (84) | 50 (76) | 0.299 |
| Surgical factors | ||||
| Blood combination (identical/compatible/incompatible, n, %) | 104/28/13 (72/19/9) | 55/15/9 (70/18/11) | 49/13/4 (74/20/6) | 0.533 |
| Cold ischemic time (min) | 171 ± 105 | 161 ± 108 | 183 ± 100 | 0.205 |
| Warm ischemic time (min) | 44 ± 16 | 44 ± 14 | 44 ± 18 | 0.967 |
| Graft type (right/left/whole, n, %) | 98/15/30 (68/10/21) | 56/9/13 (72/12/17) | 42/6/17 (65/9/26) | 0.374 |
| Graft weight (g) | 831 ± 431 | 800 ± 421 | 868 ± 443 | 0.346 |
| GRWR (%) | 1.2 ± 0.6 | 1.1 ± 0.6 | 1.2 ± 0.7 | 0.353 |
| Imunosuppressions b | ||||
| Calcineurin inhibitor (tacrolimus/CSA/alteration c , n, %) | 110/24/11 (76/17/8) | 60/11/8 (76/14/10) | 50/13/3 (76/20/5) | 0.333 |
| Corticosteroids at 6 months (mg/day) | 1.0 ± 4.7 | 0.3 ± 1.6 | 1.8 ± 6.6 | 0.075 |
| Steroid pulse for acute rejection (n, %) | 35 (24) | 16 (20) | 19 (29) | 0.248 |
| MMF use at 6 months (n, %) | 86 (59) | 45 (58) | 41 (62) | 0.613 |
Continuous variables are presented as means ± standard deviations and were analyzed using Student’s t-tests. Categorical variables are presented as numbers and percentages and were compared using the χ2 test with Yates' continuity correction.
BMI, body mass index;
MELD, model for end-stage liver disease;
DM, diabetes mellitus;
HBV, hepatitis B virus,
HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma;
LT, liver transplantation;
GRWR, graft-to-recipient body weight ratio;
CSA, cyclosporine;
MMF, mycopenolate mofetil
aBased on a comparison of post-LT non-sarcopenia patients and post-LT sarcopenia patients
bPostoperative immunosuppressive treatment
cChange in calcineurin inhibitors during the postoperative period