The Hct values after liver transplantation

Abstract

In the present study our aims are to evaluate the trend of the Hct values after liver transplantation and the prevalence of post-transplant erythrocytosis, as well as to detect, through a sub-analysis, if the switch to hepatitis B immune globulin therapy SC affects the Hct levels. We retrospectively analysed patients who had undergone liver transplantation and were still followed up at the Liver Following Transplantation Centre of the University of Salerno in December 2016. Our first analysis included 113 subjects. Among them, we identified eight patients with at least one manifestation of high Hct in the last year who needed phlebotomy with a prevalence of post-transplant erythrocytosis at 7.07% (8/113).All patients were male and had a HBV history, except one with a history of bile ducts atresia. We observed a progressive increase of Hct over time after OLT in all patients. In 2010, 13 HBV patients underwent the switch from hepatitis B immune globulin therapy EV/IM to hepatitis B immune globulin therapy SC, yet the change of formulation did not reduce the Hct values. Our findings show that Hct values increase over time in patients with liver transplantation, but they become pathological only in male patients with HBV infection.