Abstracts / Digestive and Liver Disease 41 (2009) A1–A45 A29 0.425 × height in cm 0.725 ) × 0.007184] and the donor risk index (DRI) [Am J Tranplant 2006;6:783–90] were calcu- lated. In 135 grafts, macrovesicular steatosis was assessed on pre-ischemia biopsy. In 62 grafts, total protein content was measured by the Bio-Rad protein assay method in freeze- dried liver homogenates obtained both from the heartbeating donor before the aorta was clamped (T 1 ) and 2 h after reper- fusion in the recipient (T 2 ). Results. At transplantation no recipient had grade 3 ascites, while 32 (20%) patients had grade 2. Median follow-up was 30.76 months (range 0.03–88.80). At univariate analysis (Log-Rank), graft loss was associated with the three highest quartiles of donor/recipient BSA as compared to the lowest quartile (≥0.927 vs. <0.92), with donor age (≥70 vs. <70 years), with cold ischemia time (>8 vs. ≤8 h) and with DRI (≥1.50 vs. <1.50). Cox regression analysis confirmed that high donor/recipient BSA (HR 3.39; 1.14–10.05 95% CI) was independently associated with time to graft loss, after adjustment for recipient age, HCV status and MELD score, donor age, cause of death, length of ICU stay, serum sodium, BMI, cold ischemia time, graft steatosis and donor/recipient sex mismatch. At bivariate Cox regression analysis, both high donor/recipient BSA (HR 3.00; 1.28–7.05 95% CI) and DRI (HR 1.82; 1.05–3.16 95% CI) were independently associated with graft loss. Donor/recipient BSA positively correlated with post-operative day 1 serum ALT concentra- tion (P < 0.001) and with the difference of graft total protein content between T 1 and T 2 (P < 0.01). Conclusions. High donor/recipient BSA is a novel predic- tor of graft loss after deceased donor liver transplantation and is associated with early post-operative increased hepato- cyte apoptosis and/or necrosis and with reduced hepatic total protein recovery. doi:10.1016/j.dld.2008.12.060 FACTORS MODULATING EARLY EXPRESSION OF INTERFERON-INDUCIBLE GENES IN LIVER ALLOGRAFTS P. Giarda ∗ , R. Minisini, P. Toniutto, G. Grossi, G. Occhino, E. Falleti, C. Fabris, M. Pirisi DiMeCS, Università del Piemonte Orientale, and DPMSC, Università di Udine, Italy Background and aim. In transplant biology, the paramount role played by innate immunity, including interferon (IFN) pathways, is just beginning to be appreciated. We aimed to verify if, in liver transplantation (OLT), the expression of IFN-inducible genes may be differently modulated by factors such as donor/recipient demographics, immune suppression, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) reinfection. Methods. Liver biopsies were obtained (a) per protocol, within the first 60 postoperative days (median, 27th day), from 30 OLT recipients (13 HCV positive); and (b) from four immune-competent patients who underwent laparotomy and had normal livers (controls). A fragment of the biopsy spec- imen was immediately immersed in RNA later and stored at -80 ◦ C until used for mRNA quantification. The following genes were studied by real-time PCR: 2 ′ -5 ′ oligoadenylate synthase (OAS), protein kinase (PKR), myxovirus resistance protein (MxA), interferon- inducible protein 16 (IFI16), and interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7). Results. In comparison to controls, OLT recipients showed an increased hepatic expression of MxA (3.4×), OAS (2.3×) and IFI 16 (1.4×), and a decreased expression of IRF (0.4×) (p < 0.05 for all). Using mRNA expression in controls as a reference (=1), HCV-positive OLT recipients had signif- icantly median higher mRNA expression of MxA (8.1 vs. 3.0, p = 0.014), OAS (8.5 vs. 1.5, p = 0.001), and PKR (1.6 vs. 0.9, p = 0.044) than patients transplanted for other rea- sons. A positive association was observed between presence of allograft steatosis and expression of MxA (p = 0.011) and OAS (p = 0.008). At logistic regression analysis, there was an independent association between: high MxA expression and allograft steatosis (p = 0.002); high OAS expression and HCV etiology (p = 0.008) and ALT level at biopsy (p = 0.035); high PKR expression and HCV etiology (p = 0.028); high IFI16 expression and younger (≤40 years) donor age (p < 0.001); lower IRF7 expression and male donor gender (p = 0.023) and tacrolimus-based immune suppressive regimen (p = 0.04). Conclusions. Early after OLT, IFN-inducible genes are prevalently up-regulated and differently modulated by factors such as allograft reinfection and steatosis, donor demograph- ics, and immune suppression. doi:10.1016/j.dld.2008.12.061 TRANSIENT ELASTOGRAPHY PREDICTS RESPONSE TO PROLONGED THERAPY WITH A NUCLEOSIDE ANALOG IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS B M. Viganò a,∗ , S. Massironi b , P. Lampertico a , M. Fraquelli b , S. Della Valle b , P. Del Poggio c , D. Conte b , M. Colombo a a Division of Gastroenterology I, Fondazione IRCCS Policlin- ico, Mangiagalli, Regina Elena, University of Milan, Italy b Division of Gastroenterology II, Fondazione IRCCS Poli- clinico, Mangiagalli, Regina Elena, University of Milan, Italy c Ospedale di Treviglio, Treviglio, Italy Background and aim. Transient elastography (TE) is a non-invasive and reproducible technique for staging disease severity and hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease. Assessment of liver stiffness measurements (LSM) by TE may be useful in monitoring the response of chronic hepatitis B (CH-B) patients on entecavir (ETV). Materials and methods. Starting June 2007, 118 HCC- free, compensated CH-B patients consecutively received ETV 0.5 mg/day and were tested quarterly by serum ala- nine aminotransferase (ALT) and HBV DNA (real time PCR,