A REASSESSMENT OF ABO INCOMPATIBILITY IN PEDIATRIC LIVER-TRANSPLANTATION

The present study examined 144 pediatric liver transplants to determine the impact of ABO matching on liver allograft outcome, Pediatric transplants were divided into 3 groups: ABO identical (ABO-Id; n=108), ABO-compatible nonidentical (ABO-Comp; n=22), and ABO incompatible (ABO-Inc; n=14), A higher proportion of United Network for Organ Sharing status 4 recipients in the ABO-Comp group (50% vs. 22% and 36% for ABO-Id and ABO-Inc, P<0.05) and less time spent on the waiting list for ABO-Inc recipients (46+/-12 vs. 87+/-11 and 61+/-20 days for ABO-Id and ABO-Comp, P<0.01) were noted, OKT3 induction therapy was greater in ABO-Inc grafts (57% vs. 19% and 14% for ABO-Id and ABO-Comp, P<0.05), as was incidence of acute cellular rejection (79% vs. 59% and 41% for ABO-Id and ABO-Comp, P=0.08). One- and 3-year patient survival rates were 87% and 83% in the ABO-Id group, 95% and 88% in the ABO-Comp group, and 79% and 79% in the ABO-Inc group (P=NS), One- and 3-year graft survival rates were 83% and 78% in the ABO-Id group, 87% and 80% in the ABO-Comp group, and 71% and 71% in the ABO-Inc group (P=NS), ABO-Inc transplantations can be performed successfully in pediatric recipients and warrant a reassessment of the utilization of ABO-Inc livers.