1993 Volume 2 Issue Supple2 Pages 139-141
We measured height and serum levels of IGF-1/somatomedin C in 15 patients before and after liver transplantation. They all had liver cirrhosis due to biliary atresia and received an orthotopic partial liver transplant from a living parent (ages eight months to nine years, mean 3.5 years.). Their follow-up period after liver transplant was from five to 22 months (mean 13 months). Their immunosuppressive therapy was mainly FK506 and steroids. We define improvement of somatic growth as increase of standard deviation (SD) score in height at the last follow-up as compared with preoperative SD. The liver transplant patients were divided into two groups (group A, 7 patients whose preoperative height >-1.5 SD; group B, eight patients whose preoperative height <-1.5 SD). Six in group A and two in group B showed improvement of growth. Plasma level of IGF-1 increased in all patients in group A and six in group B within three months after liver transplantation. These results suggest that liver transplantation can improve the somatic growth of children with biliary atresia within one year when it is performed before the onset of severe growth retardation.
