Brief Article
Copyright ©2012 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jan 7, 2012; 18(1): 84-89
Published online Jan 7, 2012. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i1.84
Unsuccessful treatment of four patients with acute graft-vs-host disease after liver transplantation
Xiao-Bo Chen, Jie Yang, Ming-Qing Xu, Tian-Fu Wen, Lu-Nan Yan
Xiao-Bo Chen, Jie Yang, Ming-Qing Xu, Tian-Fu Wen, Lu-Nan Yan, Department of Liver and Vascular Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China
Author contributions: Xu MQ and Yan LN contributed equally to this work; Xu MQ designed the research protocol; Yang J collected clinical data; Xu MQ, Wen TF and Yan LN contributed to the clinical work; Chen XB and Xu MQ wrote the paper.
Correspondence to: Ming-Qing Xu, MD, PhD, Department of Liver and Vascular Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan Province, China. xumingqing0018@163.com
Telephone: +86-28-85422870 Fax: +86-28-85422867
Received: May 4, 2011
Revised: June 23, 2011
Accepted: June 30, 2011
Published online: January 7, 2012
Abstract

AIM: To investigate appropriate therapeutic strategies for graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) following liver transplantation.

METHODS: Four patients who developed GVHD after liver transplantation in West China Hospital were included in this study. Therapeutic strategies with augmentation or withdrawal of immunosuppressants combined with supportive therapy were investigated in these patients. In addition, a literature review of patients who developed GVHD after liver transplantation was performed.

RESULTS: Although a transient response to initial treatment was detected, all four patients died of complications from GVHD: one from sepsis with multiple organ failure, one from gastrointestinal bleeding, and the other two from sepsis with gastrointestinal bleeding. Few consensuses for the treatment of GVHD after liver transplantation have been reached.

CONCLUSION: New and effective treatments are required for GVHD after liver transplantation to improve the prognosis of patients with this diagnosis.

Keywords: Graft-vs-host disease; Immunosuppressant; Immunosuppression; Liver transplantation; Treatment