Effect of steatosis donor liver transplantation on hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence: experience at a single institution.

Background/aims: The increasing demand for transplantation has led application of steatotic liver as the graft. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of donor graft steatosis on overall outcome and tumor recurrence after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma.
Methodology: 131 patients that underwent liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma between 2007 and 2008 were included. Donor steatosis was categorized as non-steatosis group (0%-10%, n=101) and steatosis group (>10%, n=30). The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard regression model was used for data analysis.
Results: Postoperative recipient survival rate was 81% and 66.6% at 1 and 3 years, respectively, for non-steatotic graft; 87.5% and 58.3% for mild steatosis; 83.3% and 41.7% for moderate to severe steatosis (p=0.303). Postoperative tumor recurrence rate was 15.8% and 28.7% at 1 and 3 years, respectively, for grafts with no steatosis; 8.3% and 20.8% for those with mild steatosis; 33.3% and 50% for those with moderate to severe steatosis, (p>0.05).
Conclusions: Steatotic donor was not associated with a worse prognosis in early stage postoperative and mild fatty liver did not increase tumor recurrence risks. The moderate to severe status of fatty liver had some effect on tumor recurrence.