RESUMO
Objective The study was performed to determined the significance and safety of liver biopsies in these patients as a pre-transplantation screening test. Methods From January 1999 to August 2002, seventy-four renal transplant recipients with hepatitis B or C virus infection were received the percutaneous liver biopsy. The severity of liver inflammation(G) and fibrosis(S) were evaluated by semi-quantity technique. The patients whose liver histological diagnosis was G 0-2 S 0-2 received renal transplantation(n=31). Patients with hepatitis B or C virus infection who received renal transplantation in the period of January 1995 to December 1998 were selected as historic controls. Normal level of serum transaminase was considered as a indication for the received renal transplantation during this period. The incidence of liver dysfunction after transplantation was compared between the two groups. Results It showed among thirty-one patients received renal transplantation from 1999-2002, only 1 patient (3.2%) developed liver failure after transplantation. However, among 60 patients of historic control, 17 (23.8%) suffered from liver dysfunction (P