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Review
. 2016 Jun 7;22(21):4966-76.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i21.4966.

How important is donor age in liver transplantation?

Alberto Lué  1 , Estela Solanas  1 , Pedro Baptista  1 , Sara Lorente  1 , Juan J Araiz  1 , Agustin Garcia-Gil  1 , M Trinidad Serrano  1
Affiliations
Review

How important is donor age in liver transplantation?

Alberto Lué et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

The age of liver donors has been increasing in the past several years because of a donor shortage. In the United States, 33% of donors are age 50 years or older, as are more than 50% in some European countries. The impact of donor age on liver transplantation (LT) has been analyzed in several studies with contradictory conclusions. Nevertheless, recent analyses of the largest databases demonstrate that having an older donor is a risk factor for graft failure. Donor age is included as a risk factor in the more relevant graft survival scores, such as the Donor Risk Index, donor age and Model for End-stage Liver Disease, Survival Outcomes Following Liver Transplantation, and the Balance of Risk. The use of old donors is related to an increased rate of biliary complications and hepatitis C virus-related graft failure. Although liver function does not seem to be significantly affected by age, the incidence of several liver diseases increases with age, and the capacity of the liver to manage or overcome liver diseases or external injuries decreases. In this paper, the importance of age in LT outcomes, the role of donor age as a risk factor, and the influence of aging on liver regeneration are reviewed.

Keywords: Aging; Graft survival; Liver regeneration; Liver transplantation; Old donor.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Change in distribution of donor age in recent years. Source: Spanish Liver Transplant Registry.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Change in distribution of donor age in recent years. Source: United Network for Organ Sharing reports.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Graft survival depending on donor age. Source: Spanish Liver Transplant Registry.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Graft survival in hepatitis C virus-infected patients depending on donor age. Source: Spanish Liver Transplant Registry.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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