| Title: | Liver transplant recipients have worse metabolic body phenotype compared with matched non-transplant controls |
| Journal: | JGH Open |
| Published: | 24 Sep 2024 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39318868/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1002/jgh3.70024 |
Publication 13560
WARNING: the interactive features of this website use CSS3, which your browser does not support. To use the full features of this website, please update your browser.
Abstract
Background and Aim: Quantification of body compartments, particularly the interaction between adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, is emerging as novel a biomarker of metabolic health. The present study evaluated the impact of liver transplant (LT) on body compartments.</p>
Methods: Totally 66 adult LT recipients were enrolled in whom body compartments including visceral adipose tissue (VAT), abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ASAT), muscle fat infiltration (MFI), fat-free muscle volume (FFMV), and liver fat (LF) were quantified via whole body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To provide non-LT comparison, each LT recipient was matched to at least 150 non-LT controls for same sex, age, and body mass index (BMI) from the UK Biobank registry.</p>
Results: LT recipients (vs matched non-LT controls) had significantly higher subcutaneous (13.82 ± 5.47 vs 12.10 ± 5.10 L, P < 0.001) and visceral fat (7.59 ± 3.75 vs 6.72 ± 3.06 L, P = 0.003) and lower LF (5.88 ± 7.14 vs 8.75 ± 6.50%, P < 0.001) and muscle volume (11.69 ± 2.95 vs 12.12 ± 2.90 L, P = 0.027). In subgroup analysis, patients transplanted for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) cirrhosis (vs non-MASH cirrhosis) had higher ASAT, VAT, and MFI. A trend toward higher LF content was noted; however, this did not reach statistical significance (6.90 ± 7.35 vs 4.04 ± 6.23%, P = 0.189). Finally, compared with matched non-LT controls, patients transplanted for MASH cirrhosis had higher ASAT and VAT; however, FFMV and MFI were similar.</p>
Conclusion: Using non-LT controls, the current study established the higher-than-expected adiposity burden among LT recipients, which is even higher among patients transplanted for MASH cirrhosis. These findings provide data needed to design future studies developing radiomics-based risk-stratification strategies in LT recipients.</p>
12 Authors
- Chandra Bhati
- Danielle Kirkman
- Mikael F Forsgren
- Hiba Kamal
- Hiba Khan
- Sherry Boyett
- Olof Dahlqvist Leinhard
- Jennifer Linge
- Vaishali Patel
- Samarth Patel
- Susan Wolver
- Mohammad S Siddiqui
Enabling scientific discoveries that improve human health