Evaluating the role and effectiveness of protocol liver biopsies in pediatric post-transplant care: a systematic review.
Eyad Gadour, Razan Bader, Ahmed Zaidan et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
In 30 seconds
This systematic review assessed the effectiveness of protocol liver biopsies in detecting subclinical histopathological abnormalities in 2004 pediatric liver transplant recipients. The findings revealed that protocol biopsies frequently identified histological abnormalities, with fibrosis present in approximately 66.2% of patients at 1 year and 81.6% at 15 years post-transplant, highlighting their role in post-transplant surveillance.
Key findings
- Fibrosis was found in approximately 66.2% of patients at 1 year and 81.6% at 15 years post-transplant.
- Protocol biopsies detected more subclinical rejection than for-cause biopsies in stable recipients.
- Inflammation was prevalent but tended to decline over time.
- Several factors were inconsistently associated with fibrosis and inflammation.
Why it matters
Understanding the role of protocol liver biopsies can enhance surveillance strategies for pediatric liver transplant recipients, allowing for early detection of graft pathology and timely adjustments in immunosuppression, which may improve long-term outcomes.