Dual alcohol and metabolic-related liver disease: Results from a population of liver transplant patients

Background & aims: If alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are now the two main indications for liver transplantation (LT), it has been recognized that both conditions can coexist in varying degrees and the concept of dual-aetiology fatty liver disease (DAFLD) has been proposed. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate, in a cohort of patients transplanted for ALD and NAFLD, the prevalence of DAFLD before LT and the impact on liver graft outcome.

Methods: From 1990 to 2010, all patients who underwent LT for the so-called ALD or NAFLD in our centre were included. Before LT, DAFLD was defined as patients with a history of excessive alcohol consumption and obesity associated with either diabetes or hypertension. Before LT, patients were separated into three groups: DAFLD, ALD, and NAFLD. Fatty liver graft disease was classified according to the FLIP algorithm.

Results: Out of 907, adult LT recipients were identified: 33 DAFLD patients, 333 ALD patients, and 24 NAFLD patients. After LT, ALD patients experienced significantly more alcohol relapse than DAFLD patients, who had twice more post-LT metabolic syndrome. Out of 926, post-LT biopsies, DAFLD patients had significantly more fatty liver graft disease due to metabolic syndrome features than ALD patients.

Conclusion: Our results support that DAFLD recently emerged as an indication of LT. In the future, this particular population needs to be identified as a specific entity since post-LT outcome on the graft is different from ALD and more similar to NAFLD patients.