No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Bleeding is a feared complication of invasive procedures in patients with cirrhosis and significant coagulopathy (as defined by routine coagulation tests) and is used to justify preprocedure use of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and/or platelets (PLT). Thromboelastography (TEG) provides a more comprehensive global coagulation assessment than routine tests (international normalized ratio [INR] and platelet count), and its use may avoid unnecessary blood product transfusion in patients with cirrhosis and significant coagulopathy (defined in this study as INR >1.8 and/or platelet count <50 3 10 9 /L) who will be undergoing an invasive procedure. Sixty patients were randomly allocated to TEG-guided transfusion strategy or standard of care (SOC; 1:1 TEG:SOC). The TEG group would receive FFP if the reaction time (r) was >40 min and/or PLT if maximum amplitude (MA) was <30 mm. All SOC patients received FFP and/or PLT per hospital guidelines. Endpoints were blood product use and bleeding complications. Baseline characteristics of the two groups were similar. Per protocol, all subjects in the SOC group received blood product transfusions versus 5 in the TEG group (100% vs. 16.7%; P < 0.0001). Sixteen SOC (53.3%) received FFP, 10 (33.3%) PLT, and 4 (13.3%) both FFP and PLT. In the TEG group, none received FFP alone (P < 0.0001 vs. SOC), 2 received PLT (6.7%; P 5 0.009 vs. SOC), and 3 both FFP and PLT (not significant). Postprocedure bleeding occurred in only 1 patient (SOC group) after large-volume paracentesis. Conclusions: In patients with cirrhosis and significant coagulopathy before invasive procedures, TEG-guided transfusion strategy leads to a significantly lower use of blood products compared to SOC (transfusion guided by INR and platelet count), without an increase in bleeding complications. Remarkably, even in patients with significant coagulopathy, postprocedure bleeding was rare, indicating that TEG thresholds should be reevaluated. (HEPATOLOGY 2016;63:566-573) See Editorial on Page 368 C irrhosis is characterized by decreased synthesis of both procoagulants and anticoagulants, whose delicate balance is further weakened by thrombocytopenia and/or thrombocytopathy.1 These abnormalities result in prolongation of prothrombin time (PT) and of activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), all of which have led in the past to consider cirrhosis a prototypical hemorrhagic disorder.2 Consequently, guidelines have recommended the correction of

on behalf of the SOFIA (SOraFenib Italian Assessment) study group A multicenter randomized controlled trial established sorafenib as a standard of care for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Because the study was prematurely interrupted due to survival benefits in the sorafenib arm, we conducted an observational study to adequately assess risks and benefits of this regimen in field practice. Starting in 2008, all clinically compensated patients with advanced HCC and those with an intermediate HCC who were unfit or failed to respond to ablative therapies were consecutively evaluated in six liver centers in Italy, for tolerability as well as radiologic and survival response to 800-mg/d sorafenib therapy. Treatment was down-dosed or interrupted according to drug label. Two hundred ninety-six patients (88% Child-Pugh A, 75% Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer [BCLC]-C, and 25% BCLC-B) received sorafenib for 3.8 months (95% CI 3.3-4.4). Two hundred sixty-nine (91%) patients experienced at least one adverse event (AE), whereas 161 (54%) had to reduce dosing. Treatment was interrupted in 103 (44%) for disease progression, in 95 (40%) for an AE, and in 38 (16%) for liver deterioration. The median survival was 10.5 months in the overall cohort, 8.4 months in BCLC-C versus 20.6 months in BCLC-B patients (P < 0.0001), and 21.6 months in the 77 patients treated for >70% of the time with a half dose versus 9.6 months in the 219 patients treated for >70% of the time with a full dose. At month 2 of treatment, the overall radiologic response was 8%. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, macrovascular invasion, extrahepatic spread of the tumor, radiologic response at month 2, and sorafenib dosing were independent predictors of shortened survival. Conclusion: Overall, safety, effectiveness, and generalizability of sorafenib therapy in HCC was validated in field practice. The effectiveness of half-dosed sorafenib may have implications for tailored therapy.

No abstract

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01657695.

Wait-listed (n ϭ 226) or post-liver transplantation (n ϭ 241) chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B virus (HBV) were treated with adefovir dipivoxil for a median of 39 and 99 weeks, respectively. Among wait-listed patients, serum HBV DNA levels became undetectable (Ͻ1,000 copies/mL) in 59% and 65% at weeks 48 and 96, respectively. After 48 weeks, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), albumin, bilirubin, and prothrombin time normalized in 77%, 76%, 60%, and 84% of wait-listed patients, respectively. Among posttransplantation patients, serum HBV DNA levels became undetectable in 40% and 65% at weeks 48 and 96, respectively. After 48 weeks, ALT, albumin, bilirubin, and prothrombin time normalized in 51%, 81%, 76%, and 56% of posttransplantation patients, respectively. Among wait-listed patients who underwent on-study liver transplantation, protection from graft reinfection over a median of 35 weeks was similar among patients who did (n ϭ 34) or did not (n ϭ 23) receive hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIg). Hepatitis B surface antigen was detected on the first measurement only in 6% and 9% of patients who did or did not receive HBIg, respectively. Serum HBV DNA was detected on consecutive visits in 6% and 0% of patients who did or did not receive HBIg, respectively. Treatment-related adverse events led to discontinuation of adefovir dipivoxil in 4% of patients. Cumulative probabilities of resistance were 0%, 2%, and 2% at weeks 48, 96, and 144, respectively. In conclusion, adefovir dipivoxil is effective and safe in wait-listed or posttransplantation CHB patients with lamivudine-resistant HBV and prevents graft reinfection with or without HBIg. Liver Transpl 13:349-360, 2007.