Uric Acid as a Predictor for Early Allograft Dysfunction after Living Donor Liver Transplantation: A Prospective Observational Study

Early allograft dysfunction (EAD) is a postoperative complication that may cause graft failure and mortality after liver transplantation. The objective of this study was to examine whether the preoperative serum uric acid (SUA) level may predict EAD. We performed a prospective observational study, including 61 donor/recipient pairs who underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). In the univariate and multivariate analysis, SUA ≤4.4 mg/dL was related to a five-fold (odds ratio (OR): 5.16, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.41–18.83; OR: 5.39, 95% CI: 1.29–22.49, respectively) increased risk for EAD. A lower preoperative SUA was related to a higher incidence of and risk for EAD. Our study provides a new predictor for evaluating EAD and may exert a protective effect against EAD development.