Summary The purpose of this registry study was to provide an overview of trends and results of liver transplantation (LT) in Europe from 1968 to 2016. These data on LT were collected prospectively from 169 centers from 32 countries, in the European Liver Transplant Registry (ELTR) beginning in 1968. This overview provides epidemiological data, as well as information on evolution of techniques, and outcomes in LT in Europe over more than five decades; something that cannot be obtained from only a single center experience.

BackgroundWe investigated whether sirolimus-based immunosuppression improves outcomes in liver transplantation (LTx) candidates with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).MethodsIn a prospective-randomized open-label international trial, 525 LTx recipients with HCC initially receiving mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor–free immunosuppression were randomized 4 to 6 weeks after transplantation into a group on mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitor–free immunosuppression (group A: 264 patients) or a group incorporating sirolimus (group B: 261). The primary endpoint was recurrence-free survival (RFS); intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis was conducted after 8 years. Overall survival (OS) was a secondary endpoint.ResultsRecurrence-free survival was 64.5% in group A and 70.2% in group B at study end, this difference was not significant (P = 0.28; hazard ratio [HR], 0.84; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.62; 1.15). In a planned analysis of RFS rates at yearly intervals, group B showed better outcomes 3 years after transplantation (HR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.48-1.00). Similarly, OS (P = 0.21; HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.58-1.13) was not statistically better in group B at study end, but yearly analyses showed improvement out to 5 years (HR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.49-1.00). Interestingly, subgroup (Milan Criteria-based) analyses revealed that low-risk, rather than high-risk, patients benefited most from sirolimus; furthermore, younger recipients (age ≤60) also benefited, as well sirolimus monotherapy patients. Serious adverse event numbers were alike in groups A (860) and B (874).ConclusionsSirolimus in LTx recipients with HCC does not improve long-term RFS beyond 5 years. However, a RFS and OS benefit is evident in the first 3 to 5 years, especially in low-risk patients. This trial provides the first high-level evidence base for selecting immunosuppression in LTx recipients with HCC.

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Obesity levels in the United Kingdom have risen over the years. Studies from the United States and elsewhere have reported variable outcomes for obese liver transplant recipients in terms of post-liver transplant morbidity, mortality, and graft survival. ). The primary outcome was an evaluation of graft and patient survival, and the secondary outcome was an assessment of postoperative morbidity. Bonferroni correction was applied with statistical significance set at P < 0.012. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to study the effects of BMI on graft and patient survival. A total of 1325 patients were included in the study: underweight (n 5 47 or 3.5%), normal-weight (n 5 643 or 48.5%), overweight (n 5 417 or 31.5%), obese (n 5 145 or 10.9%), and morbidly obese patients (n 5 73 or 5.5%). The rate of postoperative infective complications was significantly higher in the overweight (60.7%, P < 0.01) and obese recipients (65.5%, P < 0.01) versus the normal-weight recipients (50.4%). The morbidly obese patients had a longer mean intensive care unit (ICU) stay than the normal-weight patients (4.7 versus 3.2 days, P 5 0.03). The mean hospital stay was longer for the overweight (22.4 days, P < 0.001), obese (21.3 days, P 5 0.04), and morbidly obese recipients (22.4 days, P 5 0.047) versus the normal-weight recipients (18.0 days). There was no difference in death-censored graft survival or patient survival between the groups. In conclusion, this is the largest and only reported UK series on BMI and outcomes following liver transplantation. Overweight and obese patients have significantly increased morbidity in terms of infective complications after liver transplantation and, consequently, longer ICU and hospital stays.