Pre- and early post-operative risk factors of infection and mortality were evaluated in 45 bacteremic patients and 117 non-bacteremic patients. During one-year follow-up, 28 of 262 patients died because of graft failure, septicemia and other diseases.
Post-Tx serum neopterin on day 10 (p < 0.001) were significantly higher in bacteriemic patients than in patients without bacteremia. Logistic regression analyses showed that day 10 post-Tx neopterin serum level ⩾40 nmol/l has a predictive value (OR = 6.86: p < 0.001) for bacteremia and mortality (OR = 3.47: p = 0.021).
Our results suggest that early post-Tx neopterin serum levels are very sensitive predictive markers of one-year post-Tx bacteremia and mortality in liver Tx recipients.