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Effects of liver transplantation on health‐related quality of life in patients with primary biliary cholangitis
Author(s) -
Krawczyk Marcin,
Koźma Małgorzata,
Szymańska Agnieszka,
Leszko Katarzyna,
Przedniczek Marta,
Mucha Krzysztof,
Foroncewicz Bartosz,
Pączek Leszek,
Moszczuk Barbara,
Milkiewicz Piotr,
RaszejaWyszomirska Joanna
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
clinical transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1399-0012
pISSN - 0902-0063
DOI - 10.1111/ctr.13434
Subject(s) - medicine , quality of life (healthcare) , liver transplantation , transplantation , gastroenterology , liver disease , health related quality of life , disease , nursing
Background Patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) have decreased health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). Here, we investigate HRQoL in two cohorts of transplanted patients with PBC and compare their results to healthy subjects. Patients and Methods We used generic SF‐36 and disease‐specific PBC‐40 questionnaires to evaluate HRQoL in 26 patients with PBC (23 females, age 59.4 ± 5.7 years) before and after liver transplantation (LT), and in 107 patients with PBC (99 females, age 62.8 ± 6.7 years) who were previously transplanted. The control group was comprised of 60 healthy controls (55 females, age 54.6 ± 8.8 years). Results Health‐related quality of life improved after LT in 85% of PBC patients. The SF‐36 measure showed significant (all P < 0.05) improvements in the majority of domains after LT, and in the summary scores both physical and mental. We also documented significant improvements in pruritus and fatigue after LT (all P < 0.01). However, liver graft recipients had significantly worse physical functioning, physical role, and emotional role domains, and physical component score (all P < 0.001), as compared to healthy subjects. No differences in HRQoL were detected between patients evaluated after short and prolonged post‐LT periods ( P > 0.05). Conclusion Liver transplantation substantially improves most aspects of life quality in PBC patients. Nevertheless, their HRQoL remains worse in comparison to healthy individuals, mainly in physical aspects.