Lack of correlation between the magnitude of preservation injury and the incidence of acute rejection, need for OKT3, and conversion to FK506 in cyclosporine-treated primary liver allograft recipients

In order to study further whether a relationship exists between the extent of ischemia-preservation-reperfusion injury (IPRI) and acute rejection (AR) events in liver allografts, we retrospectively reviewed 213 consecutive cyclosporine-treated patients who received their first liver allograft between 1/1/93 and 12/31/93. Of these, 178 fulfilled the study inclusion criteria. The extent of IPRI was assessed by the peak value of aspartate aminotransferase (ASTmax) observed within the first 72 hr posttransplant. For the purpose of univariate analysis, categorical classification of recipients was done based upon ASTmax as follows: Group 1, ASTmax < 600 1U/L (n=43); group 2, ASTmax 600-2000 IU/L (n=86); and group 3, ASTmax >2000 IU/L (n=49). For multivariate analysis, stepwise Cox regression was performed with age, ASTmax, and UNOS status as covariates. At a median follow-up of 271 days there were no statistically significant differences between groups with respect to the incidence of a first episode of AR (47%, 55%, 51%, respectively, P=NS), the timing of AR (respective medians, 9, 10, and 10 days, P=NS), or the proportion of patients treated with OKT3 (9%, 20%, 12%, respectively, P=NS) or converted to FK506 (16%, 12%, 10%, P=NS). Cox regression confirmed the lack of an independent association between the extent of IPRI and any of these outcomes. We conclude that in UW-preserved, cyclosporine-treated primary liver allografts, no correlation exists between the extent of IPRI and the incidence, timing, severity, or refractoriness of clinically defined AR events.