Kurzfassung

Recurrence of the underlying disease is a frequent complication after liver transplantation (LT). Recurrent cirrhosis (RC) occurs in 20% up to 40% of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) within five years after LT compared to less than 5% among nontransplanted patients with CHC. Despite a high number of clinical risk factors including donor- and recipient-specific factors, genetic predisposition, complications and interventions, mainly the type of immunosuppression and the increasing donor...Recurrence of the underlying disease is a frequent complication after liver transplantation (LT). Recurrent cirrhosis (RC) occurs in 20% up to 40% of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) within five years after LT compared to less than 5% among nontransplanted patients with CHC. Despite a high number of clinical risk factors including donor- and recipient-specific factors, genetic predisposition, complications and interventions, mainly the type of immunosuppression and the increasing donor age, are held responsible for the accelerated fibrosis progression after LT. Yet it remains largely unclear, why some patients develop RC within the first years after LT, whereas others are spared progression. Molecular mechanisms are largely unknown and need to be elucidated. To date no pre- or post-transplant molecular markers exist, which are predictive for RC after LT and could be considered during organ allocation or early follow up. The aim of this project is to determine and validate liver tissue- and serum-based molecular markers of liver fibrosis progression. This is linked to the identification of mechanisms that are responsible for RC after LT.» weiterlesen» einklappen