Long-term therapeutic effect of liver transplantation in patients with hepatic myelopathy / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Hepatic myelopathy results from liver disease, which lacks of effective cure method. Liver transplantation has attempted to cure this disease; however, the long-term therapeutic effect is rarely reported. OBJECTIVE: To explore the long-term therapeutic effect of liver transplantation in patients with hepatic myelopathy. METHODS: The clinical data of 2 patients with hepatic myelopathy, who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation, in August 2002 and November 2004, at the 309 Hospital of Chinese PLA, were analyzed retrospectively. The time of follow-up was 18 and 43 months, respectively. The muscle strength of double lower limbs in 2 patients was assessed prior to and after operation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Two patients recovered well at 4 weeks after transplantation, the clinical symptom and physical signs of patients were improved obviously, the blood routine examination and other biochemical index were normal,and the function of transplanted kidney was normal. Two patients discharged at 6 weeks after transplantation. Patient 1 could stand for a long time at months 6 after transplantation, walked slowly with the supporter after 12 months and without the supporter at 43 months. The muscular strength of two lower limbs was grade 4. And the liver function was normal. Patients 2 could move his lower limbs in bed at months 6 after transplantation, walked with the supporter at 18 months. The muscular strength of two lower limbs was grade 3. The liver function was normal. It demonstrated that liver transplantation is beneficial to control hepatic myelopathy and recover muscular strength of two lower limbs. It is a newly developed, effective curing method for treating hepatic myelopathy. However, the numbers were small with short time observation, thus, the long-term therapeutic effect still need to be explored.