Absence of Paneth Cell Metaplasia to Predict Clinical Relapse in Ulcerative Colitis with Endoscopically Quiescent Mucosa.

BACKGROUND: Paneth cells play multiple roles in maintaining intestinal homeostasis. However, the clinical role of Paneth cell metaplasia (PCM) in ulcerative colitis (UC) remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the relationship between PCM and relapse in patients with UC and compare the usefulness of PCM with other histological indexes, including mucin depletion (MD) and basal plasmacytosis (BP). METHODS: Patients with UC in clinical remission (CR) who underwent colonoscopy to confirm a Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES) ≦1 with biopsies from the distal colon were enrolled into this retrospective cohort study. Biopsy samples were evaluated for histological findings of PCM, MD, and BP. Clinical relapse was defined as partial Mayo score ≧3 or medication escalation. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine independent predictors of relapse among the three histological findings, MES, and patient background, and relapse prediction models were generated. RESULTS: Eighty-three patients were enrolled in this study (MES 0, n = 47; MES 1, n = 36). The number of PCM cases was significantly higher in patients with prolonged CR than that in those with relapse (p = 0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that the absence of PCM and MD were related to relapse in all the patients. In patients with MES 1, the absence of PCM was the only risk factor significantly and independently associated with relapse (hazard ratio, 4.51 [1.15-17.7]; p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: The absence of PCM was a histological risk factor for relapse in patients with MES 1, implying a protective role for PCM in remission and a new index for mucosal healing.

Fulminant necrotizing fasciitis by Edwardsiella tarda in a patient with alcoholic liver cirrhosis: A case report.

We herein present a unique and extremely rare fulminant case of Edwardsiella tarda infection-related necrotizing fasciitis. The patient had alcoholic cirrhosis and preferred to consume raw fish. He experienced painful swelling of the right forearm one day after he got a minor injury when falling from the ladder, and visited our hospital. His accompanied symptoms were diarrhea and general fatigue. His consciousness got deteriorated after the admission. The lesion of the right forearm had spread and the color had deteriorated with epidermolysis in a few hours. Necrotizing soft-tissue infection was suspected, and emergency debridement of the swollen forearm was performed 4 hours after the admission. However, unfortunately, he died of sepsis approximately 5 hours later. Histological examination of the biopsy specimen revealed features consistent with those of necrotizing fasciitis. The bacterial cultures of blood and the wound identified E. tarda. Since this microorganism is usually isolated from aquatic environments and can cause intestinal infection, sometimes followed by bacteremia especially in immunocompromised hosts, two possible infection routes were suspected. One route was from the skin injury, leading to bacteremia. Another possible route was per oral: orally taken E. tarda invaded deeper tissues from the intestine and reach the bloodstream, leading to extraintestinal infections, although direct evidence remains elusive. Raw fish eaten 1 week prior is considered to be the most possible contaminated food. Overall mortality rate of E. tarda bacteremia is very high and the clinician should pay attention on characteristic clinical findings of E. tarda infection on cirrhotic patients.

Prognostic impact of pre- and postoperative tumor markers in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

PURPOSE: The present study assessed the impact of pre- and postoperative tumor markers on the survival of patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. METHODS: Medical records of 73 patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma were reviewed retrospectively. The pre- and postoperative carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels were assessed. Patient characteristics, clinicopathological factors, and prognostic factors were analyzed. RESULTS: The median recurrence-free survival and overall survival were 30.0 and 90.9 months, respectively. A multivariate survival analysis revealed that elevated postoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (p = 0.023) was the only independent poor prognostic factor. The median overall survival of patients with normal and elevated postoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels was 101.4 and 15.7 months (p < 0.001), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression identified elevated preoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 as an independent preoperative risk factor for elevated postoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9. The optimal cutoff value of preoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 for predicting elevated postoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 was 40 U/mL, with a sensitivity and specificity of 92% and 87%, respectively (area under curve = 0.915). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated postoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9 was an independent poor prognostic factor. Preoperative predictors, such as elevated preoperative carbohydrate antigen 19-9, may indicate the need for neoadjuvant therapies to improve the survival.

Surgery-related disseminated intravascular coagulation predicts postoperative complications.

PURPOSE: The rate of postoperative morbidity, including infectious complications, is still high after major hepatobiliary pancreatic (HBP) surgery. Although surgery-related disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) occurs in some cases, its significance has not been elucidated in HBP surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of surgery-related DIC on the complication severity after HBP surgery. METHODS: We analyzed the records of 100 patients with hepatectomy in two or more segments, hepatectomy with biliary tract reconstruction, and pancreaticoduodenectomy. The baseline characteristics and complications were compared between patients with and without surgery-related DIC on postoperative day 1 (POD1) after HBP surgery between 2010 and 2018. Complication severity was assessed using the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI). RESULTS: The DIC group (surgery-related DIC on POD1) had predictive factors, such as larger bleeding volume and higher liver enzyme levels. The DIC group exhibited significantly elevated rates of surgical site infection, sepsis, prolonged intensive care unit stay, more frequent blood transfusions, and higher CCI. Furthermore, compared with and without adjustment of DIC, odds ratio (OR) of AST level and operation time for  the risk of high CCI decreased (OR of AST level: 1.25 to 1.19 and OR of operation time: 1.30 to 1.23) and the significant differences had vanished. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery-related DIC on POD1 could be a partial mediator between AST level, operation time and higher CCI. The prevention or proper management of surgery-related DIC on POD1 can be an important target to reduce the severity of postoperative complications.

Adoptive immunotherapy overcomes genetic susceptibility to bloodstream infections due to fc-gamma receptor polymorphisms after liver transplantation.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FCGR3A can predict the susceptibility of liver transplant (LT) recipients to bloodstream infections (BSI) and clinical outcomes following living-donor LT (LDLT). Here, we retrospectively analyzed the relationship of adoptive immunotherapy with activated natural killer (NK) cells from perfusate effluents of liver allografts against BSI following LDLT. Higher BSI incidence and lower survival were observed in LT recipients with FcγRIIIa (158F/F or F/V) (n = 81) who did not receive adoptive immunotherapy (n = 55) than in those who did (n = 26) (BSI frequency, 36.4% vs. 11.5%; p = .033; log-rank p = .047). After matching patient background using propensity score, similar results were obtained (BSI ratio, 41.7% vs. 12.5%; p = .049; log-rank p = .039). The predominant BSI pathogens in patients who did and did not receive adoptive immunotherapy were gram-negative rods (n = 3, 100%) and gram-positive cocci (GPC) (n = 15, 65.2%), respectively. The proportion of NK cells administered to patients with BSI was significantly lower than that administered to patients without BSI (Number: 80.3 (29.9-239.2) × 106 cells vs. 37.1 (35.6-50.4) × 106 ; p = .033, percentage; 14.1 (13.3-17.8)% vs. 34.6 (16.5-47)%, p = .0078). Therefore, adoptive immunotherapy with NK cells was associated with the reduced post-transplant BSI related to GPCs due to FcγRIIIa SNP in LT recipients.

Interphase Protein Layers Formed on Self-Assembled Monolayers in Crowded Biological Environments: Analysis by Surface Force and Quartz Crystal Microbalance Measurements.

We investigated a viscous protein layer formed on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) in crowded biological environments. The results were obtained through force spectroscopic measurements using colloidal probes and substantiated by exhaustive analysis using a quartz crystal microbalance with an energy dissipation technique. A hydrophobic SAM of n-octanethiol (C8 SAM) in bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution is buried under an adlayer of denatured BSA molecules and an additional viscous interphase layer that is five times more viscous than the bulk solution. C8 SAMs in fetal bovine serum induced a formation of a thicker adsorbed protein layer but with no observable viscous interphase layer. These findings show that a fouling surface is essentially inaccessible to any approaching molecules and thus has a new biological and physical identity arising from its surrounding protein layers. In contrast, the SAMs composed of sulfobetaine-terminated alkanethiol proved to be sufficiently protein-resistant and bio-inert even under crowded conditions due to a protective barrier of its interfacial water, which has implications in the accurate targeting of artificial particles for drug delivery and similar applications by screening any non-specific interactions. Finally, our strategies provide a platform for the straightforward yet effectual in vitro characterization of diverse types of surfaces in the context of targeted interactions in crowded biological environments.

Molecular Mismatch Predicts T Cell-Mediated Rejection and De Novo Donor-Specific Antibody Formation After Living Donor Liver Transplantation.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecular mismatch (MM) analysis improves the prediction of clinical outcomes in kidney transplantation compared with prediction via traditional antigen MM. However, it remains unclear whether the level of MM can be used for risk stratification among liver transplantation (LT) recipients. A retrospective observational study of 45 living donor LTs was performed to evaluate eplet MM as a risk factor for both T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR) in the first month and de novo donor-specific antibody (dnDSA) formation. A total of 9 (20%) patients displayed TCMR. HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, and HLA-DRB1 eplet MM numbers were not associated with TCMR. By contrast, HLA-DQB1 eplet MM (DQB1-EpMM) number was significantly high in patients with TCMR. The predicted indirectly recognizable HLA epitopes (PIRCHE-II) score for the HLA-DQB1 locus (DQB1-PIRCHE-II) was also significantly higher in the TCMR group than in the no-TCMR group. There was a high probability for TCMR to occur with either a DQB1-EpMM ≥7 or a DQB1-PIRCHE-II ≥13. Pretransplant mixed lymphocyte response analyses indicated that there were no significant differences between the antidonor T cell proliferation activities of patients with low-number (<7) and high-number (≥7) DQB1-EpMMs. However, the proportion of CD25 expression on proliferating antidonor CD8+ T cells, used as a cytotoxic activity marker, was high in DQB1-EpMMs ≥7. Moreover, both DQB1-EpMMs ≥9 and DQB1-PIRCHE-II ≥3 were predictors of dnDSA formation. Thus, MM analysis may be applied toward tailored immunosuppression based on individual risks.

Synthesis and Aromaticity of Benzene-Fused Doubly N-Confused Porphyrins.

A bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene(BCOD)-fused bis(dipyrromethane) derivative was reacted with methylal in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid followed by oxidation with chloranil to give a doubly N-confused phlorin derivative, which did not undergo the retro-Diels-Alder reaction extruding an ethylene molecule on heating. In contrast, a 7-tert-butoxybicyclo[2.2.1]heptadiene(7-BuOBCHD)-fused bis(dipyrromethane) yielded benzene-ring-fused doubly N-confused porphyrins by following similar reaction sequences.

Impact on biliary complications of donor abdominal aortic calcification among living donor liver transplantation: a retrospective study.

Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) was reported as a poor prognostic factor among liver transplantation. However, donor AAC is not enough discussed. We analyzed the impact of the donor AAC level on graft function on outcomes following living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). A total of 133 consecutive patients who had undergone LDLT were divided into two groups (non-AAC group and AAC group) according to their donor AAC level by plain computed tomography. The rate of postoperative biliary complications (BC) was significantly higher in AAC group (N = 17) than in non-AAC group (N = 116; HR, 2.77; 95% CI, 1.32-5.83; P = 0.0008). The Cox proportional hazards regression model revealed that donor AAC (HR, 4.15; 95% CI, 1.93-8.97; P = 0.0003) and right lobe graft (HR, 2.81; 95% CI, 1.41-5.61; P = 0.003) increased the risk of BC. Conversely, splenectomy (HR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.16-0.92; P = 0.03) decreased the risk of BC after LDLT independently. The long-term survival was also significantly worse in AAC group than in non-AAC group (HR, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.04-4.89; P = 0.04). Donor AAC was an independent prognostic factor for BC among patients undergoing LDLT. Although further investigations are needed to verify our results, the levels of donor AAC could be a useful tool to identify the risks of BC and predict better outcomes following LDLT.

Impact of Abdominal Aortic Calcification Among Liver Transplantation Recipients.

Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) is known as a risk factor of coronary artery disease, stroke, hyperphosphatemia, chronic inflammation, diabetes, and decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate. However, the clinical implications of incidental AAC findings in liver transplantation (LT) have not been evaluated in terms of posttransplantation survival and complications. Therefore, we analyzed the relationships between the AAC level and the outcomes following LT. A total of 156 consecutive patients who underwent LT between January 2007 and December 2014 were divided into 2 groups according to their AAC level (<100 mm3 or ≥100 mm3 ), as calculated using the Agatston method. Even after propensity matching, the survival time was significantly longer in the low-AAC group compared with that in the high-AAC group (median survival time, 4.5 versus 3.0 years; P < 0.01). A multivariate analysis identified high AAC level (hazard ratio, 2.2) and old donor age (hazard ratio, 2.2) as prognostic factors for overall survival. In conclusion, high AAC is an independent unfavorable prognostic factor in LT.

Perforation of the gallbladder in a patient with acute cytomegalovirus cholecystitis shortly following renal transplantation.

A 74-year-old man with end-stage renal failure secondary to diabetes received a living donor renal transplant (cytomegalovirus [CMV]-seropositive recipient from a CMV-seropositive donor). Computed tomography scan revealed a gallbladder with hemorrhage. On postoperative day 27, cholecystography revealed gallbladder perforation; he underwent an emergency operation. Histological examination of the gallbladder wall was positive for multiple viral inclusion bodies. We report a very rare case of both hemorrhagic and perforated CMV cholecystitis within a month following renal transplantation.

Prediction of recurrence following hepatectomy in patients with hepatitis C virus infection-related hepatocellular carcinoma who achieved a sustained virological response.

AIM: The risk of hepatitis C virus infection-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is lower, with a better prognosis, in patients who achieve a sustained virological response (SVR) than in those who do not. We aimed to identify risk factors of post-hepatectomy HCC recurrence in patients who achieved a SVR. METHODS: This retrospective study included 349 HCC patients who underwent an initial radical hepatectomy at our institution between January 2005 and December 2014. Sixty-eight patients had achieved a SVR (the SVR group) and 281 patients had not (the non-SVR group). Clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes were compared between the two groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified variables associated with recurrence-free survival in the SVR group. RESULTS: Post-hepatectomy overall and recurrence-free survival rates were significantly higher in the SVR group than the non-SVR group (P < 0.01 and <0.05, respectively). Univariate analysis of post-hepatectomy recurrence-free survival in the SVR group revealed multiple significant factors: aspartate aminotransferase, 25 IU/L or more (P = 0.01); indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min, 20.0% or less (P < 0.05); hepatic vascular invasion (P < 0.05); and an interval of months or less between achieving a SVR and hepatectomy (P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis confirmed an interval of 30 months or less between achieving a SVR and hepatectomy as an independent prognostic factor of recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio, 2.30; 95.0% confidence interval, 1.04-5.13; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The interval between achieving a SVR and hepatectomy is an important predictor of recurrence in hepatitis C virus infection-related HCC patients who achieved a SVR.

Hybrid Surgery for Portosystemic Encephalopathy in a Patient with Liver Cirrhosis: a case report.

Regarding the treatment for a portosystemic shunt, surgical or interventional radiological closure of the shunt was established. Interventional radiology including balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration can worsen portal hypertension and create a large thrombus close to the major venous system in the case of a huge portosystemic shunt. In contrast, it is also difficult to treat some cases through surgery alone when huge complicated shunts exist very deep in the body. Herein, we report a successful case of surgical shunt ligation for portosystemic encephalopathy in a hybrid operation room that enabled intraoperative angiography and computed tomography. A 62-year-old woman with chronic hepatitis C was referred to our hospital due to high levels of serum ammonia and hepatic encephalopathy. She had a massive, complicated portosystemic shunt from the inferior mesenteric vein to the left renal vein but did not have esophageal or gastric varices. It was difficult to occlude the portosystemic shunt by interventional radiologic techniques because the shunt had an extremely large amount of blood flow and many collateral routes. We performed the shunt ligation in the hybrid operation room. Intraoperative angiography provided detailed information about the portosystemic shunt, such as direction or volume of blood flow and collateral routes in real time. Her encephalopathy disappeared completely and she remains healthy with improved liver functional reserve to date. In conclusion, this is a successful case of a hybrid operation for an extremely large and complicated portosystemic shunt, providing for intraoperative angiography as a safe and reliable surgical treatment for portosystemic encephalopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Prediction of long-term survival by using the Glasgow Prognostic Score in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation.

AIM: This study aimed to validate the prognostic value of the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS) in patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: Data were retrospectively collected for HCC patients who underwent LDLT. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify variables associated with overall and recurrence-free survival. Patients were separated into two groups based on the GPS. The predictive ability of the GPS was compared with other variable scores (modified GPS and hepatic GPS) to identify the most accurate test for this population. RESULTS: Univariate analysis identified a GPS of 1 or 2 (P = 0.018), multiple tumors (P = 0.032) and HCC beyond the Milan criteria (P = 0.015) as factors significantly associated with poor overall survival. Hepatitis B negative status (P = 0.034), a GPS of 1 or 2 (P = 0.030), α-fetoprotein of 20.0 ng/mL or more (P = 0.042) and HCC beyond the Milan criteria (P = 0.002) were identified as factors significantly associated with poor recurrence-free survival. Multivariate analysis indicated that HCC beyond the Milan criteria and a GPS of 1 or 2 were independent risk factors for long-term outcomes. Among the scoring systems evaluated in this study, the GPS was the best predictive system in our population. Moreover, a new scoring system that combined the GPS and the Milan criteria showed the highest prognostic values. CONCLUSION: Novel prediction scores combining the GPS and the Milan criteria provide a precise, objective, and quick approach for selecting appropriate HCC patients for LDLT.

Efficacy and Feasibility of Salvage Living Donor Liver Transplantation after Initial Liver Resection in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Liver transplantation (LT) is promising method of treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, but is limited by donor organ shortages and tumor progression during long wait periods. This study investigated the efficacy of salvage living donor LT (LDLT) after initial liver resection (LR) in HCC patients. METHODS: Sixty patients with HCC who underwent primary LDLT (n = 45) or salvage LDLT after initial LR (n = 15) were enrolled. Significant prognostic variables determined by univariate analysis were subjected to multivariate analysis using a Cox proportional hazard regression model. Cox proportional hazards models with inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) based on propensity score were used to adjust for selection bias between groups. RESULTS: The salvage group had significantly higher Child-Pugh class A (p = 0.003), ≥3 pretransplant treatments (p = 0.007), and reoperation rates for postoperative bleeding (p = 0.032) than the primary LDLT group, whereas overall and recurrence-free survival rates were comparable. After IPTW matching, the salvage LDLT group had significantly more reoperations for postoperative bleeding (hazard ratio 7.948, p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: First-line LR followed by salvage LDLT allows survival equal to that of primary LDLT. Salvage LDLT following primary LR could be an effective therapy.

Treatment of hepatic amyloid light-chain amyloidosis with bortezomib and dexamethasone in a liver transplant patient.

Hepatic amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is characterized by abnormal deposition of amyloid fibrils in the liver. As this precursor protein is produced by a proliferative plasma cell clone in the bone marrow, liver transplantation (LT) does not affect the disease's progression. Here, we describe the successful treatment using bortezomib- and dexamethasone-based chemotherapy, following LT, of hepatic AL amyloidosis in a 65-year-old woman with progressive liver failure. The patient presented with progressive hepatic dysfunction accompanied by hepatorenal syndrome requiring hemodialysis, and living donor LT was successfully performed. Histology revealed amyloid deposits in the liver and stomach, and serum immunofixation revealed AL amyloidosis (κ-type). The patient began chemotherapy on day 45 after the LT, and remission was achieved after one course. She was subsequently discharged 83 days after the LT, with normal liver and renal function, and no clinical evidence of recurrent disease was observed at the latest follow up (22 months post-LT).

A case of gastric cancer following living donor liver transplantation.

Only a few cases of de novo malignancy, especially gastric cancer after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), have been reported. We report a case of gastric cancer following LDLT, after which immunosuppressants were minimized in accordance with the results of the mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) assay. A 65-year-old woman had previously undergone LDLT for hepatocellular carcinoma associated with hepatitis B virus infection. The liver graft had been donated by her son. During the course of postoperative surveillance with the MLR assay in order to minimize immunosuppressants, she was incidentally found to have gastric cancer during an endoscopic examination, 8 years after the liver transplantation. She underwent total gastrectomy with lymph node dissection. In this case, gastric cancer was detected 8 years after LDLT, which is longer than previously reported intervals between LDLT and malignancy detection. The number of patients undergoing LDLT is increasing, and the prognosis after liver transplantation has improved. Therefore, endoscopic surveillance programs are important for detecting malignancies in the early stages in liver transplant recipients.

Feasibility, safety, and efficacy of intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging-guided hepatectomy for small hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective study.

Advancements in diagnostic modalities, such as enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, provide increased opportunities for identifying small hepatocellular carcinoma that is undetectable on preoperative ultrasonography. Whether it is acceptable to leave these lesions untreated is uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging-guided hepatectomy using new navigation systems. This study was conducted between July 2019 and January 2023. We retrospectively studied the clinicopathological features and prognoses of patients with small hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent curative intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging-guided hepatectomy. We evaluated 23 patients (median age, 75 years), among whom 20 (87.0%) were males. Seven (30.4%) and 15 (65.2%) patients had liver cirrhosis and a history of hepatectomy, respectively. The median size of the target lesions was 9 mm, with a median distance of 6 mm from the liver surface. Despite being undetectable preoperatively on contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, all lesions were identified using intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging. Based on pathological findings, 76.0% of the lesions were malignant. The complete resection rate was 100%, and tumor-free margins were confirmed in 96.0% of the patients. Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging-guided hepatectomy is safe and effective in identifying and resecting small hepatocellular carcinoma lesions that are undetectable on preoperative ultrasonography.

Association of Abdominal Aortic Calcification With the Postoperative Metabolic Syndrome Components After Liver Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the risk factors for components of metabolic syndrome, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, more than a year after liver transplantation. METHODS: This study included 164 patients with liver failure secondary to acute and chronic liver disease or hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent liver transplantation between 2000 and 2019. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome components after liver transplantation. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 10.5 years. Of the 164 patients who underwent liver transplantation, 144 (87.8%) developed components of metabolic syndrome after liver transplantation. The most common cause of liver failure was hepatitis C virus infection (34.1%). The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma was 36.0%. In univariate analysis, preoperative diabetes mellitus was a significantly more common component of metabolic syndrome than the others. In multivariate analysis, preoperative abdominal aortic calcification was a risk factor for the new onset of all components of metabolic syndrome after liver transplantation, despite the varying degree of calcification at risk of development (odds ratio for diabetes mellitus = 3.487, P = .0069; odds ratio for hypertension = 2.914, P = .0471; odds ratio for dyslipidemia = 3.553, P = .0030). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative abdominal aortic calcification was significantly associated with the development of each metabolic syndrome component after liver transplantation.