Prognostic markers in liver transplantation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A study designed to investigate the donor and recipient factors that affect outcomes after liver transplantation.
IRAS ID
184740
Contact name
Kourosh Saeb-Parsy
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University of Cambridge
Duration of Study in the UK
6 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Liver transplantation is a life-saving treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease. It results in reduced morbidity, a better quality of life and longer life-expectancy. The availability of this life-saving treatment, however, is limited by a relative shortage of livers that are suitable for transplantation. The shortage of organs is compounded by the failure of many livers early or late after transplantation due to poorly understood reasons, which include ischaemia-reperfusion injury, disease recurrence, rejection and drug toxicity. Consequently, patients spend prolonged periods on the liver transplant waiting lists, and many die or are removed from the waiting list without being transplanted, and some are never listed for transplantation. The study aims to investigate the cellular mechanisms of ischaemia-reperfusion injury, the immunological response to transplantation, and to identify prognostic markers for graft and patient outcomes. The study involves taking a limited number of samples of tissue, blood, urine, and bile before and after transplantation. The samples will be analysed using a panel of state-of-the-art assays and correlated with donor and recipient demographics and outcomes. It is anticipated that the study will enable investigators to identify donor and recipient factors that are of prognostic value for graft and recipient outcomes after liver transplantation.
REC name
East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/EE/0351
Date of REC Opinion
8 Dec 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion