Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder in pediatric liver transplant recipients: Experience from a South African transplant center

Introduction: Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a clinically heterogeneous potentially fatal complication of pediatric liver transplantation (PLT). We determined the prevalence, complications, and associated factors for PTLD in PLT recipients from Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre, South Africa from January 2012 to August 2019.Methods: We performed a retrospective record review of 150 PLT recipients.Results: Histologically proven PTLD occurred in 17/150 PLT recipients (11.3%). Children with PTLD were significantly younger at transplant (17.9 vs. 32.7 months, p = 0.001) with a significantly higher prevalence of obstructive etiology (17/17 vs. 81/133, p = 0.001). Fifteen (88.2%) children with PTLD were Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) seronegative at transplant. High post-transplant EBV viral load at a threshold value of 4.8 log10 DNA copies/mL (sensitivity: 80.0% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 46.7%-100.0%]; specificity: 73.1% [95% CI 42.3%-93.3%; area under the curve {AUC} 75.8%]) and low post-transplant albumin levels at a threshold value of 21.5 g/L (sensitivity: 70.6% [95% CI, 41.2%-94.1%]; specificity: 85.7% [95% CI, 60.4%-94.5%; {AUC} 74.8%]) were associated with PTLD. The prevalence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease was significantly higher in children who developed PTLD versus non-PTLD (12/17 vs. 18/133; p < 0.001). CMV disease and the combination of post-transplant high EBV viral load and low albumin were independently associated with an increased risk of developing PTLD. Four (23.5%) children with PTLD died, however, survival was equivalent to non-PTLD PLT (p = 0.580).Conclusion: The prevalence of PTLD in our cohort mirrors international cohorts, with mortality similar to non-PTLD PLT recipients. image