Following news reports that the former child actor had recently undergone a liver transplant, top U.S. health experts explain what conditions cause the largest organ in the body to fail

Carlo Allegri/Getty Images Archives
PARK CITY, UT – JANUARY 28: Actress Michelle Trachtenberg of the film “Mysterious Skin” poses for portraits during the 2005 Sundance Film Festival January 28, 2005 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Carlo Allegri/Getty Images)

Following multiple reports that “Gossip Girl” star Michelle Trachtenberg had a liver transplant “months” before her death Wednesday at age 39, fans have wondered why she would have needed such an serious operation.

Trachtenberg’s cause of death has not officially been released and is pending an autopsy by the New York City medical examiner’s office, the New York Times reported. Officials say the former child actor was found unconscious and unresponsive in her Manhattan apartment at around 8 a.m.

Trachtenberg’s rep, Gary Mantoosh, would not release “further details at this time,” as he released a statement saying, “It is with great sadness to confirm that Michelle Trachtenberg has passed away. The family requests privacy for their loss.”

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Sources have told ABC News, the New York Post, TMZ and People that she had undergone a liver transplant “months” before and may have been experiencing complications or even a rejection of a donated organ.

TMZ reported that Trachtenberg’s mother, Lana Trachtenberg, last saw her alive at 10 p.m. Tuesday and she seemed “active despite her health concerns.” The Daily Mail spoke to staff at Sartiano’s, a popular upscale Italian restaurant in SoHo, who said she appeared sick and gaunt during a visit last Thursday and could barely walk down a flight of stairs.

A source close to Trachtenberg told People that she had been “really down emotionally” recently and dealing with “health issues” over the past year. The source told People: “She told friends she was struggling.

She was really, really sick and open with those in her circle about how much she was struggling.”

The possibility that Trachtenberg’s health struggles necessitated an organ transplant prompted many online to ask why a relatively young woman like Trachtenberg would need a new liver.

Until friends, family or officials come forward to confirm that she had, in fact, undergone a liver transplant, say whether it played a role in her death, or to explain any health issues leading up to the reported operation, here is what top U.S. health experts say about why people usually need new livers.

The liver, the largest solid organ in the body, removes toxins from the body’s blood supply, maintains healthy blood sugar levels and regulates blood clotting, among many other vital functions. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, a liver transplant is a surgery that replaces a diseased liver with a healthy liver from another person.

A whole, healthy liver may be transplanted from a recently deceased donor.

Or, a part of a liver may be transplanted from a donor, who can continue to live a healthy life with the remaining liver, because the liver is the one organ in the body that can replace lost or injured tissue.

Following a transplant, it’s not known how long someone can live their new organ, given that each person is different, according to Stanford Medicine.

But patients should expect to live their rest of their lives checking in with their transplant team and taking medications to prevent the body from rejecting the organ, or other medications to prevent the side effects of anti-rejection medications, which are known to weaken the immune system.

A transplant becomes necessary for people with serious liver dysfunction, which means they cannot live unless they get a healthy new organ, according to Stanford Medicine.

The most common reason that people need liver transplants is cirrhosis.

Cirrhosis is the scarring of the liver, with hard scar tissue replacing soft healthy tissue, according to the American Liver Foundation.

And, the most common causes of cirrhosis are chronic hepatitis C, followed by alcohol-related liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatitis B.

Both hepatitis C and B are viral infections that affect the liver and both are associated with injecting illegal drugs, sex with an infected partner, accidental needle sticks among healthcare workers, babies born to infected mothers and other factors, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Hepatitis C is transmitted through contact with infected blood, while Hepatitis B also is spread through blood, semen and other bodily fluids. A common vaccine also prevents hepatitis B, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There are both short — or acute — versions of hepatitis C and B. There are safe and effective treatments for acute hepatitis C, which is curable, the CDC says. Meanwhile, most people with hepatitis B recover without treatment. Long-term — or chronic — hepatitis C and B infections can lead to liver disease and cirrhosis, with the American Liver Foundation saying that one in four people with chronic hepatitis C develop cirrhosis.

Along with hepatitis, the other leading cause of cirrhosis in the United States is chronic alcoholism and long-term, heavy drinking, which can cause the liver to swell and, over time, lead to cirrhosis, according to the American Liver Foundation.

The amount of alcohol that causes cirrhosis is different for each person.

Fatty liver disease, often called NAFLD, is a liver condition in which too much fat builds up in the liver.

It is not caused by alcohol use, and is most often seen in people who are overweight or obese, according to the American Liver Foundation. Other causes of cirrhosis include bile duct disease and genetic diseases, the American Liver Foundation also reported.

This story has been updated.