Changing trends in the etiology of liver transplantation in Turkiye: A multicenter study


Akarsu M., DOLU S., Harputluoglu M., YILMAZ S., Akyildiz M., Gencdal G., ...More

Hepatology Forum, vol.5, no.1, pp.3-6, 2024 (Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 5 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.14744/hf.2023.2023.0010
  • Journal Name: Hepatology Forum
  • Journal Indexes: Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.3-6
  • Keywords: Etiology, HBV, liver transplantation, NAFLD
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Background and Aim: This study aimed to identify the indications for liver transplantation (LT) based on underlying etiology and to characterize the patients who underwent LT. Materials and Methods: We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional ob-servational study across 11 tertiary centers in Turkiye from 2010 to 2020. The study included 5,080 adult patients. Results: The mean age of patients was 50.3±15.2 years, with a predom-inance of female patients (70%). Chronic viral hepatitis (46%) was the leading etiological factor, with Hepatitis B virus infection at 35%, followed by cryptogenic cirrhosis (24%), Hepatitis C virus infection (8%), and al-cohol-related liver disease (ALD) (6%). Post-2015, there was a significant increase in both the number of liver transplants and the proportion of living donor liver transplants (p<0.001). A comparative analysis of patient characteristics before and after 2015 showed a significant decline in viral hepati-tis-related LT (p<0.001), whereas fatty liver disease-related LT significantly increased (p<0.001). Conclusion: Chronic viral hepatitis continues to be the primary indication for LT in Turkiye. However, the proportions of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and ALD-related LT have seen an upward trend over the years.