De Novo Inflammatory Bowel Disease after Liver Transplantation: Eleven Years' Experience in Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

Background: Colon inflammation may occur after solid and liquid organ transplantations at a rate higher than in the general population. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the incidence of de novo inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and assess some risk factors after Orthotopic Liver Transplantation (OLT) in liver transplant patients in Shiraz, Iran. Methods: The sample study comprised patients (n = 1702) who had received liver transplants between 2001 and 2012 at the Shiraz liver transplant center. The data were obtained from patient records, which included information on their medical history, colonoscopy reports, family history of IBD, and other risk factors. The study evaluated the status of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) among patients who had undergone liver transplantations due to Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH) group, Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC), and other liver transplant patients. Additionally, case groups were formed, comprising AIH patients (n1 = 10) and other patients with IBD (n2 = 10), and were compared with transplant patients without IBD as the control group (n1 = 21, n2 = 21). Results: Out of the total 1702 patients, 254 (14.92%) had AIH, 211 (12.40%) had PSC, and 1237 (72.68%) had other outcomes. The mean of leukocyte counts (P-value = 0.73), types of immunosuppressant medications, and serum levels of cyclosporine (P-value = 0.77) and tacrolimus (P-value = 0.27) did not show any significant differences between the case and control groups. However, it was observed that IBD developed earlier in patients with AIH compared to other patients (20.1 ± 2.23 vs 53.9 ± 4.42 months). Conclusions: The incidence of IBD after liver transplantation was higher compared to the general population, and it occurred earlier in patients who underwent transplantation for AIH and other groups.