Long-term survival after liver transplantation for alcohol-related liver disease in the Nordic countries

Abstract

Objectives

Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is among the most common indications for liver transplantation (LTX) in Europe and North America, with good five-year survival rates post-LTX. Here we evaluated survival up to and beyond 20 years after LTX for patients with ALD compared to a comparison group.

Methods

Patients with ALD and a comparison group transplanted in the Nordic countries between 1982 and 2020 were included. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kaplan–Meier curves and predictors of survival were assessed with Cox-regressions.

Results

831 patients with ALD and 2979 patients in the comparison group were included in the study. Patients with ALD were older at the time of LTX (p < .001) and more likely to be male (p < .001). The estimated median follow-up time was 9.1 years for the ALD-group and 11.1 years for the comparison group. 333 (40.1%) patients with ALD and 1010 (33.9%) patients in the comparison group died during follow-up. The overall survival was impaired for patients with ALD compared to the comparison group (p < .001) and was evident for male and female patients, patients transplanted before and after 2005, and observed in all age-groups except patients over 60 years. Age at transplant, waiting time, year of LTX and country of LTX were associated with decreased survival after LTX for patients with ALD.

Conclusions

Patients with ALD have a decreased long-term survival following LTX. This difference was evident in most sub-groups of patients and warrants close follow-up of liver transplanted patients with ALD with focus on risk reduction.

Keywords:

• Alcohol-related liver disease
• liver transplantation
• survival
• Nordic countries

Acknowledgements

The maintenance of the database system supporting NLTR has been performed by the Scandiatransplant team in Aarhus and we are especially grateful for the help and support provided by Ilse Duus Weinreich. Physicians, nurses and transplant coordinator at all the involved transplant center have provided invaluable support in keeping the registry updated.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

None.