Early liver transplantation (LT) in European centers reportedly improved survival in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis (AH) not responding to medical therapy. Our aim was to determine if a strategy of early LT for severe AH could be applied successfully in the United States. We reviewed 111 patients with severe AH at our center from January 2012 to January 2015. The primary end point was mortality at 6 months or early LT, with a secondary end point of alcohol relapse after LT. Survival was compared between those receiving early LT and matched patients who did not. Using a process similar to the European trial, 94 patients with severe AH not responding to medical therapy were evaluated for early LT. Overall, 9 (9.6%) candidates with favorable psychosocial profiles underwent early LT, comprising 3% of all adult LT during the study period. The 6-month survival rate was higher among those receiving early LT compared with matched controls (89% vs. 11%, p<0.001). Eight recipients are alive at a median of 735 days with 1 alcohol relapse. Early LT for severe AH can achieve excellent clinical outcomes with low impact on the donor pool and low rates of alcohol relapse in highly selected patients in the United States.

It has been shown that patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) meeting UNOS T2 (Milan) criteria are advantaged compared to patients without HCC under the current organ allocation system for liver transplant (LT). We hypothesize that within T2 HCC, there is a subgroup with a low risk of waitlist dropout, and should not receive the same listing priority. This study evaluated 398 consecutive patients with T2 HCC listed for LT with MELD exception from 2005 to 2010 at our center. Competing risk (CR) regression was used to determine predictors of dropout. Probabilities of dropout due to tumor progression or death without LT by CR analysis were 9.4% at 6 months and 19.6% at 12 months. The median time from listing to LT was 8.8 months, and from listing to dropout or death without LT was 7.2 months. Significant predictors of dropout or death without LT by multivariate CR regression included 1 tumor 3–5 cm (vs. ≤3 cm), 2 or 3 tumors, lack of a complete response to first loco-regional therapy (LRT), and high alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) after the first LRT. A subgroup (19.9%) meeting the following criteria: 1 tumor 2 to 3 cm, complete response after first LRT, and AFP ≤20 ng/mL after first LRT, had 1- and 2-year probabilities of dropout of 1.3% and 1.6%, respectively, compared to 21.6% and 26.5% for all other patients (p=0.004). In conclusion, a combination of tumor characteristics and complete response to the first LRT define a subgroup of patients with a very low risk of waitlist dropout who does not require the same listing priority. Our results may have important implications for the organ allocation policy for HCC.

Background Little is known about the role of the microbiome in primary sclerosing cholangitis. Aim Our goal was to explore the mucosa-associated microbiota in PSC patients across different locations in the gut, and to compare it with IBD-only patients and healthy controls. Methods Biopsies from the terminal ileum, right colon, and left colon were collected from patients and healthy controls undergoing colonoscopy. Microbiota profiling using bacterial 16S rRNA sequencing was performed on all biopsies. Results Forty-four patients were recruited: 20 with PSC (19 with PSC-IBD and one with PSC-only), 15 with IBD-only, and 9 healthy controls. The overall microbiome profile was similar throughout different locations in the gut. No differences in the global microbiome profile were found. However, we observed significant PSC-associated enrichment in Barnesiellaceae at the family level, and in Blautia and an unidentified Barnesiellaceae at the genus level. At the operational taxa unit (OTU) level, most shifts in PSC were observed in Clostridiales and Bacteroidales orders, with approximately 86% of shifts occurring within the former order. Conclusion The overall microbiota profile was similar across multiple locations in the gut from the same individual regardless of disease status. In this study, the mucosa associated-microbiota of PSC patients was characterized by enrichment of Blautia and Barnesiellaceae and by major shifts in OTUs within Clostridiales order.

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Rifaximin may be effective in preventing SBP in patients with cirrhosis and ascites compared to systemically absorbed antibiotics and compared to placebo.