JHEP Reports (Feb 2021)
Sex disparities in waitlisting and liver transplant for acute liver failure
Abstract
Background & Aims: Sex disparities in liver transplantation (LT) for chronic liver disease have been described. It is unclear if similar disparities exist for acute liver failure (ALF). Methods: Adults waitlisted for LT from 2002 to 2016 with ALF were investigated using the United Network of Organ Sharing database. Clinical characteristics and causative aetiologies were compared between men and women who were waitlisted Status-1. Differences in LT, waitlist removal, and 1-year post-transplant survival were explored. Results: Of 8,408 patients waitlisted for LT with ALF, 41.3% of men and 63.9% of women were waitlisted Status-1 (p <0.001). Women had significantly higher international normalised ratio, higher frequency of grade 3–4 hepatic encephalopathy, and different aetiologies of ALF than men. On univariable analysis, women were less likely to undergo LT (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR] 0.90; 95% CI 0.84–0.97) and were more likely to die or be removed from the waitlist as a result of clinical deterioration (SHR 1.14; 95% CI 1.002–1.30) than men. The disparities in LT (HR 0.95; 95% CI 0.87–1.03) and death/clinical deterioration (SHR 1.13; 95% CI 0.99–1.29) were no longer significant on multivariable analysis. On multivariable analysis, there was no difference in 1-year post-transplant survival between men and women. Conclusions: Women with ALF are more likely to be waitlisted Status-1 than men. There were no clear disparities in LT or waitlist removal. Sex differences in LT and waitlist removal were attenuated on fully adjusted models, suggesting that these disparities may in part be mitigated by Status-1 listing. Lay summary: Women with acute liver failure appear to be sicker than men and more often require urgent Status-1 waitlisting. There were no sex disparities in waitlist removal because of clinical deterioration or liver transplantation. This is in contrast to chronic liver disease, where sex disparities exist. The Status-1 waitlisting that women with acute liver failure receive may in part mitigate sex disparities in liver transplantation.
