Prevalence of portal vein thrombosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a meta-analysis of observational studies.

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a common complication of cirrhosis as a result of portal hypertension and modification in the hemostatic balance. Accumulating evidence now suggests that patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), especially those with advanced forms, have an increased risk of PVT. Hence, we performed a meta-analysis of observational studies to estimate the overall prevalence of PVT in patients with NAFLD and its advanced forms compared with patients with advanced liver diseases from other etiologies. We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases from the inception date to December 30th 2022, using predefined keywords, to identify observational studies. Meta-analysis was performed using random-effects modeling. We included five observational studies for a total of 225,571 patients. Of these, 26,840 (11.9%) patients had NAFLD, whereas the PVT prevalence was 8.5% (n = 2,280). When compared with patients with advanced liver diseases from other etiologies, patients with NAFLD and its advanced forms had a higher risk of prevalent PVT (OR 1.34, 100% CI 1.07-1.67 p < 0,01). The between-study heterogeneity was substantial (I2 = 88%). This meta-analysis suggests that compared with patients with advanced liver diseases from other etiologies, patient with NAFLD and its advanced forms had a higher risk of prevalent PVT. Further research is required to understand the complex link between NAFLD/NASH and PVT development.

Long-term quality of life after liver donation in the adult to adult living donor liver transplantation cohort study (A2ALL).

BACKGROUND & AIMS: There are few long-term studies of the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in living liver donors. This study aimed to characterize donor HRQOL in the Adult to Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Study (A2ALL) up to 11 years post-donation. METHODS: Between 2004 and 2013, HRQOL was assessed at evaluation, at 3 months, and yearly post-donation in prevalent liver donors using the short-form survey (SF-36), which provides a physical (PCS) and a mental component summary (MCS). RESULTS: Of the 458 donors enrolled in A2ALL, 374 (82%) had SF-36 data. Mean age at evaluation was 38 (range 18-63), 47% were male, 93% white, and 43% had a bachelor's degree or higher. MCS and PCS means were above the US population at all time points. However, at every time point there were some donors who reported poor scores (>1/2 standard deviation below the age and sex adjusted mean) (PCS: 5.3-26.8%, MCS: 10.0-25.0%). Predictors of poor PCS and MCS scores included recipient's death within the two years prior to the survey and education less than a bachelor's degree; poor PCS scores were also predicted by time since donation, Hispanic ethnicity, and at the 3-month post-donation time point. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, most living donors maintain above average HRQOL up to 11 years prospectively, supporting the notion that living donation does not negatively affect HRQOL. However, targeted support for donors at risk for poor HRQOL may improve overall HRQOL outcomes for living liver donors.