Impact of Sarcopenia in Pediatric Chronic Liver Disease after Liver Transplantation: Prevalence and Implications for Clinical Outcomes Sarcopenia in Pediatric with Chronic Liver Disease
Gastroenterology and Hepatology from Bed to Bench,
Vol. 17 No. 2 (2024),
14 Farvardin 2024
https://doi.org/10.22037/ghfbb.v17i2.2908
Abstract
Background: Sarcopenia, a muscle-wasting syndrome, is common in patients with advanced liver disease and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. While sarcopenia in adults has been extensively studied, there is little information in this regard for children and adolescents with chronic liver diseases. The purpose of this retrospective single-center study was to determine the prevalence of sarcopenia and its association with mortality and other morbidities in children with chronic liver disease who had undergone liver transplantation.
Methods: The study included 108 children and adolescents who had liver transplant. Sarcopenia was measured using skeletal muscle index at the third lumbar vertebral level and assessed using abdominal computed tomography imaging.
Results: The prevalence of sarcopenia in the studied population was found to be 45.7%. Patients with sarcopenia were more likely to be male (P <0.0001), older (P <0.0001), and had lower height-for-age z-scores (P=0.012). Genetic/metabolic diseases were the most common underlying cause of sarcopenia in children. Except for a higher rate of transplantation rejections in the sarcopenia group (P=0.035), there was no significant difference in mortality rates (P=0.688) or post-LT complications between the two groups. One year after LT, computed tomography-derived body composition parameters revealed no significant differences between children who survived and those who did not.
Conclusion: Our findings indicate a high prevalence of sarcopenia in children with chronic liver disease, implying that more research is needed to better understand its impact on clinical outcomes in this population
- chronic liver disease
- Liver transplant
- Sarcopenia
- Pediatric
How to Cite
References
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