[Follow-up and results of liver transplantation for primary biliary cirrhosis].

Primary biliary cirrhosis is regarded as one of the optimal indications for orthotopic liver transplantation in adults. With the decrease in the operative mortality, the analysis of the potential long-term complications including disease recurrence is becoming increasingly relevant. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of liver transplantation for primary biliary cirrhosis in our center. From 1988, 14 patients were transplanted for this indication and all of them were alive with a mean follow-up of 43 months by the end of June 1995. At that time, all complications related to chronic liver disease were reversed by the transplant except for osteopenia. Lumbar column fractures and overweight were the major inconveniences encountered. Hypertension and diabetes related to antirejection therapy disappeared during the first year of follow-up in all but one patient. Recurrence of the disease was not encountered in this series where a triple association of immunosuppressive therapy was maintained in each patient. At long-term, the frequency of disease recurrence in the liver allograft seems quite low and even in this situation immunosuppressive agents may alter the evolution of the disease. All patients (n - 12) who had at least 1 year of follow-up had a normal level of bilirubin and their quality of life was good to excellent. These results, confirmed by the international experience, support the notion that patients suffering from primary biliary cirrhosis should be transplanted as early as complications from this chronic liver disease occur.