Demographic and clinical characteristics in patients undergoing liver transplantation for hepatitis B virus: Analysis of trends over time in 1,067 cases

To describe the demographic and clinical profile of adult patients (≥ 18 years) who underwent liver transplantation (LT) for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) at Inonu University Liver Transplantation Institute between January 2009 and February 2025, and to analyse sixteen-year temporal trends. This was retrospective crossectional study. Patients aged 18 years and older were included in the study, and a total of 1,067 patients were analyzed. Key variables included sex, diagnostic group, MELD-Na score, transplant type, and survival status. 858 patients (80.4%) were male; mean transplant age 50.6 ± 10.5 years; predominant age bracket 50–59 years (41.1%). Diagnostic breakdown: HBV cirrhosis alone 61.7%, HCC 25.8%, HDV co-infection 15.9%. Male predominance was highest in the HCC group (90.2%) with a mean transplant age of 54.9 ± 8.9 years. The HDV group had the highest mean MELD-Na (17.2 ± 2.6). Female patients had significantly higher MELD than males (17.4 ± 2.3 vs 16.6 ± 1.6; p = 0.009). Mean transplant age increased by +0.53 years per year from 2009 to 2024 (p < 0.001). HBV-related LT is predominantly performed in middle-aged males with cirrhosis. HCC co-existence is associated with older age and marked male predominance; HDV co-infection carries the highest MELD burden. The steady rise in transplant age likely reflects disease-progression delay attributable to potent antiviral therapy.