Objective  To explore the early prognosis and the risk factors of delayed graft function (DGF) of the recipients undergoing liver transplantation from donor liver with moderate-to-severe steatosis.

  Methods  Clinical data of 475 donors and 475 recipients undergoing liver transplantation from donor liver of organ donation after citizen's death were retrospectively analyzed. According to the classification criteria of steatosis proposed by Australia National Liver Transplantation Unit (ANLTU), all recipients were divided into the S0 group (no steatosis, n=308), S1 group (mild steatosis, n=97), S2 group (moderate steatosis, n=52) and S3 group (severe steatosis, n=18), respectively. The early postoperative death and incidence of postoperative complications were statistically compared among each group. The risk factors from donors, recipients and operation leading to DGF were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.

  Results  The incidence of postoperative DGF in the S2 and S3 groups was significantly higher than that in the S1 and S0 groups (all P < 0.05). The incidence of postoperative DGF in the S3 group was remarkably higher than that in the S2 group (P < 0.05). The early postoperative fatality, the incidence of primary nonfunction (PNF) of the transplant liver, postoperative bleeding, infection, biliary complications and vascular complications did not significantly differ among each group (all P > 0.05). Univariate regression analysis showed that severe steatosis of donor liver, long cold ischemia time, high model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score and tumors of the recipients before operation were the risk factors of DGF (all P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that moderate-to-severe steatosis of donor liver, cold ischemia time > 8 h and MELD score > 30 of the recipients were the independent risk factors for early postoperative DGF.

  Conclusions  The early-stage incidence of DGF after adult liver transplantation from donor liver with moderate-to-severe steatosis is high, whereas it does not affect the early survival rate of the recipients. The selection of donor liver with moderate-to-severe steatosis should be considered in combination with cold ischemia time of the donors and MELD score of the recipients before operation, etc.