Objective To investigate the prognosis of liver transplantation (LT) elderly recipients and analyze the influencing factors for prognosis.

Methods The retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 400 LT recipients who were admitted to three medical centers from January 2015 to June 2020 were collected, including 368 cases in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 17 cases in the Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine and 15 cases in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University. There were 297 males and 103 females, aged from 22 to 75 years, with a median age of 60 years. Of the 400 LT recipients,200 cases aged ≥60 years were divided into elderly recipients (ER) group and 200 cases aged <60 years were divided into non-elderly recipients (NER) group. Reci-pients underwent orthotopic LT or modified piggyback LT. Observation indicators: (1) survival of recipients and grafts for two groups; (2) influencing factors for death of LT recipients; (3) stratification analysis of ER group. Follow-up using the outpatient examination and telephone interview was conducted to detect survival and prognosis of patients up to May 2021. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean±SD, and comparison between groups was conducted using the t test. Count data were described as absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi-square test. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival rates and draw survival curves. Log-Rank test was used for survival analysis. COX regression model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results (1) Survival of recipients and grafts for two groups: 400 recipients were followed up for 1 day to 71.7 months, with a median follow-up time of 16.3 months. Survival analysis showed that the 1-, 3-year overall survival rates and 1-, 3-year graft survival rates for ER group were 72.70%, 60.66% and 72.70%, 59.64%, respectively, versus 78.84%, 75.48% and 78.84%, 74.22% for NER group, showing significant differences in the overall survival and graft survival between the two groups (χ²=5.712, 5.681, P<0.05). (2) Influencing factors for death of LT recipients: results of univariate analysis showed that age, score of model for end stage liver disease, Child-Pugh score, cold ischemia time(CIT) of liver donor, hypertension, blood type of recipients and donors, volume of intraoperative blood loss, volume of intraoperative red blood cell transfusion, volume of intraoperative plasma transfusion, volume of intraoperative crystalloid fluid transfusion, the maximum alanine aminotransferase within postoperative 7 days, the maximum aspartate aminotransferase within postoperative 7 days, total bilirubin were related factors for death of LT recipients (odds ratio=1.026, 1.022, 1.084, 1.070, 1.701, 2.728, 1.000, 1.056, 1.089, 1.000, 1.000, 1.000, 1.003, 95% confidence interval as 1.006-1.045, 1.005-1.040, 1.060-1.170, 1.011-1.132, 1.133-2.554, 1.701-4.374, 1.000-1.001, 1.031-1.082, 1.039-1.142, 1.000-1.003, 1.001-1.004, 1.000-1.002, 1.001-1.004, P<0.05). Results of multivariate analysis showed that age, blood type of recipients and donors, the maximum aspartate aminotransferase within postoperative 7 days, total bilirubin were independent influencing factors for death of LT recipients (odds ratio=1.022, 2.761, 1.000, 1.007, 95% confidence interval as 1.001-1.044, 1.612-4.727, 1.000-1.001, 1.002-1.012, P<0.05). (3) Stratification analysis of ER group: ① of 200 recipients in ER group, cases with 0 hour≤CIT≤8 hours, 8 hours<CIT≤12 hours, CIT>12 hours were 96, 73, 31 ,respectively. The 1-year overall survival rates for above recipients were 77.46%, 73.33%, 54.07%, and the 3-year overall survival rates were 62.67%, 65.05%, 41.30%. There was a significant difference in the overall survival between the three groups (χ²=6.708, P<0.05). ② Of 200 recipients in ER group,182 cases were ABO compatible and 18 were ABO incompatible. The 1-year overall survival rates for above recipients were 77.32%, 27.78%, and the 3-year overall survival rates were 64.63%, 22.22%. There was a significant difference in the overall survival between the two groups (χ²=23.165, P<0.05).

Conclusions The overall survival of ER is inferior to NER. Age, blood type of recipients and donors, the maximum aspartate aminotransferase within postoperative 7 days, total bilirubin are indepen-dent influencing factors for death of LT recipients. Controlling CIT within 12 hours and avoiding ABO incompatible-liver transplantation can significantly improve the prognosis of ER.