Value of pretransplant albumin-bilirubin score in predicting outcomes after liver transplantation

BACKGROUND: Due to the significant shortage of organs and the increasing number of candidates on the transplant waiting list, there is an urgent need to identify patients who are most likely to benefit from liver transplantation. The albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grading system was recently developed to identify patients at risk for adverse outcomes after hepatectomy. However, the value of the pretransplant ALBI score in predicting outcomes after liver transplantation has not been assessed. AIM: To retrospectively investigate the value of the pretransplant ALBI score in predicting outcomes after liver transplantation. METHODS: The clinical data of 272 consecutive adult patients who received donation after cardiac death and underwent liver transplantation at our centre from March 2012 to March 2017 were analysed in the cohort study. After the exclusion of patients who met any of the exclusion criteria, 258 patients remained. The performance of the ALBI score in predicting overall survival and postoperative complications after liver transplantation was evaluated. The optimal cut-off value of preoperative ALBI was calculated according to long-term survival status. The outcomes after liver transplantation, including postoperative complications and survival analysis, were measured. RESULTS: The remaining 258 consecutive patients were included in the analysis. The median follow-up time was 17.30 (interquartile range: 8.90-28.98) mo. Death occurred in 35 patients during follow-up. The overall survival rate was 81.0%. The preoperative ALBI score had a significant positive correlation with the overall survival rate after liver transplantation. The calculated cut-off for ALBI scores to predict postoperative survival was -1.48. Patients with an ALBI score > -1.48 had a significantly lower survival rate than those with an ALBI score ≤ -1.48 (73.7% vs 87.6%, P < 0.05), and there were no statistically significant differences in survival rates between patients with a model for end stage liver disease score ≥ 10 and < 10 and different Child-Pugh grades. In terms of the specific complications, a high ALBI score was associated with an increased incidence of biliary complications, intraabdominal bleeding, septicaemia, and acute kidney injury after liver transplantation (P < 0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: The ALBI score predicts overall survival and postoperative complications after liver transplantation. The ALBI grading system may be useful in risk-stratifying patients on the liver transplant waiting list.