Risk Factors for Portal Vein Thrombosis in Patients With Cirrhosis Awaiting Liver Transplantation in Shiraz, Iran

BACKGROUND: Portal vein thrombosis is a fairly common and potentially life-threatening complication in patients with liver cirrhosis. The risk factors for portal vein thrombosis in these patients are still not fully understood. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the associations between various risk factors in cirrhotic patients and the development of portal vein thrombosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this case-control study performed at the Shiraz organ transplantation center, Iran, we studied 219 patients (> 18 years old) with liver cirrhosis, who were awaiting liver transplants in our unit, from November 2010 to May 2011. The patients were evaluated by history, physical examination, and laboratory tests, including factor V Leiden, prothrombin gene mutation, Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2) mutation, and serum levels of protein C, protein S, antithrombin III, homocysteine, factor VIII, and anticardiolipin antibodies. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in the assessed hypercoagulable states between patients with or without portal vein thrombosis. A history of previous variceal bleeding with subsequent endoscopic treatment in patients with portal vein thrombosis was significantly higher than in those without it (P = 0.013, OR: 2.526, 95% CI: 1.200 - 5.317). CONCLUSIONS: In our population of cirrhotic patients, treatment of variceal bleeding predisposed the patients to portal vein thrombosis, but hypercoagulable disorders by themselves were not associated with portal vein thrombosis.