Volume 29, Issue 3 e70067
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Short and Long-Term Outcomes of Liver Transplantation in Pediatric Patients With Inborn Errors of Metabolism: A Single-Center Study

Hazel Delal Dara Kar

Corresponding Author

Hazel Delal Dara Kar

Department of Pediatrics, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

Correspondence:

Hazel Delal Dara Kar ([email protected])

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Halil İbrahim Aydın

Halil İbrahim Aydın

Department of Pediatric Metabolic Diseases, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

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Figen Özçay

Figen Özçay

Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

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Oya Balcı Sezer

Oya Balcı Sezer

Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

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Esra Baskın

Esra Baskın

Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

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Feride Şahin

Feride Şahin

Department of Genetics, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

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Yunus Kasım Terzi

Yunus Kasım Terzi

Department of Genetics, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

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Emre Karakaya

Emre Karakaya

Department of General Surgery, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

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Mehmet Haberal

Mehmet Haberal

Department of General Surgery, Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

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First published: 12 March 2025

Funding: This work was supported by Baskent Üniversitesi.

ABSTRACT

Background

Inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs) are inherited diseases causing significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in childhood. Liver transplantation (LT) can be curative or partially effective for these diseases. LT for IEMs has increased, making IEMs the second most common reason for pediatric LT after biliary atresia.

Patients and Methods

Between 2001 and 2023, 50 pediatric patients with IEMs underwent LT at Başkent University, Ankara Hospital. Data collected retrospectively included diagnosis, gender, age of diagnosis, age of LT, LT indication, donor data, graft type, rejection episodes, post-transplant complications, and clinical findings of the IEMs before and after LT. Treatment methods, follow-up duration, and survival time were also recorded.

Results

Of the 332 pediatric LT patients, 50 (15.1%) had IEMs, with three requiring re-transplantations. Diagnoses included glycogen storage diseases (n = 11), tyrosinemia type 1 (n = 10), primary hyperoxaluria (n = 6), urea cycle disorders (n = 6), homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (n = 4), propionic acidemia (n = 4), deoxyguanosine kinase deficiency (n = 3), maple syrup urine disease (n = 2), methylmalonic acidemia (n = 1), Niemann-Pick disease type B (n = 1), alkaptonuria with unknown neonatal cholestasis (n = 1), and bile acid synthesis disorder (n = 1). The parental consanguinity rate was 74%. Living-related donors provided organs for 48 (90.5%) patients. The mean age at LT was 75.3 ± 8.2 months (range: 5–218), with a follow-up period of 82.1 ± 10.2 months (range:1 day–229 months). Survival rates at 1, 5, 10, and 15 years were 83.7%, 81%, 81%, and 70.9%, respectively.

Conclusion

LT is an effective solution for children with IEM causing chronic organ failure and difficult to manage with medical treatment, showing a good long-term prognosis.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.

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