Cohort Profile: Shiraz Pediatric Liver Cirrhosis Cohort (SPLCCS)

Abstract

Liver diseases in children and adolescents are a significant and arising public health issue and should be surveyed from different dimensions (clinical and para-clinical, psychological, socio-economic) and in diverse populations. Shiraz Liver Transplant Center, Shiraz, Iran is the only center for pediatric liver transplantation and its pre-operative evaluations. This provides a unique and valuable situation for studying this vulnerable population. The Shiraz Pediatric Liver Cirrhosis Cohort Study (SPLCCS) was established to assess cirrhotic children, the course of their disease, and treatment over time. This cohort study aimed to prospectively evaluate the natural course and factors that contributed to complications and death of children with chronic liver disease in the region. SPLCCS was launched in September 2018 after obtaining ethical approval; until August 2022, 370 children with end-stage liver disease were enrolled and followed every six months. Here, the cohort's features, the included population's baseline characteristics, and primary outcomes are reported.