C-reactive protein at ICU admission as a marker of early graft dysfunction after liver transplant. A prospective, single-center cohort study.
Med Intensiva 2019;
44:275-282. [PMID:
31000214 DOI:
10.1016/j.medin.2019.02.009]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To explore the behavior of C-reactive protein (CRP) after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) during the first postoperative days, and its usefulness as a marker of severe early allograft dysfunction (EAD).
DESIGN
A prospective, single-center cohort study was carried out.
SETTING
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a regional hospital with a liver transplant program since 1997.
PATIENTS
The study comprised a total of 183 patients admitted to our ICU immediately after liver transplantation between 2009 and 2015.
VARIABLES OF INTEREST
C-reactive protein levels upon ICU admission and after 24 and 48h, severe EAD and hospital mortality.
RESULTS
The CRP levels after OLT were: upon ICU admission 57.5 (51.6-63.3)mg/L, after 24h 80.1 (72.9-87.3)mg/L and after 48h 69.9 (62.5-77.4)mg/L. Severe EAD patients (14.2%) had higher mortality (23.1 vs 2.5; OR 11.48: 2.98-44.19) and lower CRP upon ICU admission (39.3 [29.8-48.7]mg/L) than the patients without EAD (0.5 [53.9-67.0]; p<0.05] - the best cut-off point being 68mg/L (sensitivity 92.3%; specificity 40.1%; Youden index 0.33). Lower CRP upon ICU admission was correlated to higher mortality (24.5 [9.2-39.7] vs 59.4 [53.4-65.4]; p<0.01, AUC 0.79 [0.65-0.92]).
CONCLUSION
Liver transplant is a strong inflammatory stimulus accompanied by high levels of C-reactive protein. A blunted rise in CRP on the first postoperative day after OLT may be a marker of poor allograft function and is related to hospital mortality.
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