Management of fungal colonization and infection after living donor liver transplantation

Background/Aims: Control of infection is important in liver transplant patients under immunosuppressive conditions. In particular, invasive fungal infection is often fatal if diagnosis and therapy are delayed. The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence of fungal colonization and infection after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Methodology: Retrospective analysis was performed with 60 consecutive adult recipients of LDLT. Results: Fungi were isolated from specimens of 16 (26.7%) patients after LDLT. All the fungi were Candida species. One patient for whom Candida species were isolated in ascites and blood was complicated with systemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and cytomegalovirus infection. In the univariate analysis, fungal carriage before surgery (p=0.01) was associated with fungal isolation after LDLT. In the multivariate analysis, fungal carriage was found to be an independent predictor of fungal isolation (odds ratio: 15.7, p=0.03). Of the 60 recipients, 16 (26.7%) showed serum levels of β-D glucan above 60pg/ml after surgery. Among these, 4 died and were all complicated with severe bacterial infection. Conclusion: Preoperative fungal carriage was associated with fungal isolation after LDLT. If fungal infection was suspected after LDLT, along with treatment against fungi, control of complicated infections with other pathogens to be simultaneously considered