DO PATIENTS WITH ANTI-MITOCHONDRIAL ANTIBODY-NEGATIVE PRIMARY BILIARY CIRRHOSIS FAIR POORLY AFTER LIVER TRANSPLANTATION?
Introduction: Among patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), up to 16% do not have anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA). We investigated if AMA-negativity portends poorer outcome in patients undergoing liver transplantation (OLT). Methods: Explanted liver histology on all patients who received OLT at our institution was reviewed to identify those with PBC. After their pre-OLT AMA status was determined, each AMA- patient was paired with two AMA+ patients, one immediately preceding and another following the index case. The two groups were compared with respect to pre-OLT characteristics and post-OLT outcome. Results: Among the recipients of 660 OLTs between 1985 and 1995, 85 patients had a histologic diagnosis of PBC. Eight (9.4%) were persistently AMA-. When these were compared to 16 AMA+ patients, there were no significant differences in preoperative demographics, Mayo risk score, anti-nuclear or anti-smooth muscle antibody serology and serum levels of immunoglobulin-M, gamma-globul
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- DO PATIENTS WITH ANTI-MITOCHONDRIAL ANTIBODY-NEGATIVE PRIMARY BILIARY CIRRHOSIS FAIR POORLY AFTER LIVER TRANSPLANTATION?
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