Liver transplant patients General population Severe COVID-19 Highlights The incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is higher in liver transplant patients. Mortality rates are lower than those observed in the matched general population. Immunosuppression withdrawal may not be justified. Mycophenolate may increase the risk of severe COVID-19 in a dosedependent manner.

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Patients with HCC-CC have similar survival to patients undergoing a transplant for HCC. Preoperative diagnosis of HCC-CC should not prompt the exclusion of these patients from transplant option.

A retrospective cohort multicenter study was conducted to analyze the risk factors for tumor recurrence after liver transplantation (LT) in cirrhotic patients found to have an intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) on pathology examination. We also aimed to ascertain whether there existed a subgroup of patients with single tumors ≤2 cm (“very early”) in which results after LT can be acceptable. Twenty‐nine patients comprised the study group, eight of whom had a “very early” iCCA (four of them incidentals). The risk of tumor recurrence was significantly associated with larger tumor size as well as larger tumor volume, microscopic vascular invasion and poor degree of differentiation. None of the patients in the “very early” iCCA subgroup presented tumor recurrence compared to 36.4% of those with single tumors >2 cm or multinodular tumors, p = 0.02. The 1‐, 3‐ and 5‐year actuarial survival of those in the “very early” iCCA subgroup was 100%, 73% and 73%, respectively. The present is the first multicenter attempt to ascertain the risk factors for tumor recurrence in cirrhotic patients found to have an iCCA on pathology examination. Cirrhotic patients with iCCA ≤2 cm achieved excellent 5‐year survival, and validation of these findings by other groups may change the current exclusion of such patients from transplant programs.

AimsTo study the effect of CYP2C8*3 , the most common CYP2C8 variant allele on the disposition of (R)-ibuprofen and the association of CYP2C8*3 with variant CYP2C9 alleles. MethodsThree hundred and fifty-five randomly selected Spanish Caucasians were screened for the common CYP2C8 and CYP2C9 mutations. The pharmacokinetics of (R)-ibuprofen were studied in 25 individuals grouped into different CYP2C8 genotypes. ResultsThe allele frequency of CYP2C8 * 3 (0.17) was found to be higher than that reported for other Caucasian populations ( P = 0.0001). The frequencies of CYP2C9 * 2 and CYP2C9 * 3 were 0.19 (0.16-0.21) and 0.10 (0.08-0.12), respectively. An association between CYP2C8 * 3 and CYP2C9 * 2 alleles was observed, occurring together at a frequency 2.4-fold higher than expected for a random association of alleles ( P = 0.0001). The presence of the CYP2C8 * 3 allele was found to influence the pharmacokinetics of (R)-ibuprofen in a gene-dose effect manner. Thus, after administration of 400 mg ibuprofen, the plasma half-life (95% confidence intervals) for individuals with genotypes CYP2C8 * 1/ * 1 , CYP2C8 * 1/ * 3 and CYP2C8 * 3/ * 3 , was 2.0 h (1.8-2.2), 4.2 h (1.9-6.5; P < 0.05) and 9.0 h (7.8-10.2; P < 0.002), respectively. A statistically significant trend with respect to the number of variant CYP2C8 * 3 alleles was also observed for the area under the concentration-time curve ( P < 0.025), and drug clearance ( P < 0.03). ConclusionPolymorphism of the CYP2C8 gene was found to be common, with nearly 30% of the population studied carrying the variant CYP2C8 * 3 allele. The presence of the latter caused a significant effect on the disposition of (R)-ibuprofen. This suggests that a substantial proportion of Caucasian subjects may show alterations in the disposition of drugs that are CYP2C8 substrates.

Impaired drug metabolism is a major cause of adverse drug reactions, and it is often caused by mutations at genes coding for drug-metabolising enzymes. Two amino-acid polymorphisms of cytochrome P4502C9 (CYP2C9), an enzyme involved in the metabolism of several nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), were studied in 94 individuals with acute bleeding after NSAIDs use and 124 individuals receiving NSAIDs with no adverse effects. The frequency of CYP2C9 variant alleles was increased in overall bleeding patients, with a significant trend to higher risk with increasing number of variant alleles (P ¼ 0.02). The odds ratio for bleeding patients receiving CYP2C9 substrates (n ¼ 33) was 2.5 for heterozygous and 3.7 for homozygous carriers of mutations (Po0.015), suggesting that the inherited impairment of CYP2C9 activity increases the risk for severe adverse drug reactions after NSAIDs use.

The protective capacity and duration of humoral immunity after SARS‐CoV‐2 infection are not yet understood in solid organ transplant recipients. A prospective multicenter study was performed to evaluate the persistence of anti‐nucleocapsid IgG antibodies in liver transplant recipients 6 months after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) resolution. A total of 71 liver transplant recipients were matched with 71 immunocompetent controls by a propensity score including variables with a well‐known prognostic impact in COVID‐19. Paired case–control serological data were also available in 62 liver transplant patients and 62 controls at month 3 after COVID‐19. Liver transplant recipients showed a lower incidence of anti‐nucleocapsid IgG antibodies at 3 months (77.4% vs. 100%, p < .001) and at 6 months (63.4% vs. 90.1%, p < .001). Lower levels of antibodies were also observed in liver transplant patients at 3 (p = .001) and 6 months (p < .001) after COVID‐19. In transplant patients, female gender (OR = 13.49, 95% CI: 2.17–83.8), a longer interval since transplantation (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.03–1.36), and therapy with renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors (OR = 7.11, 95% CI: 1.47–34.50) were independently associated with persistence of antibodies beyond 6 months after COVID‐19. Therefore, as compared with immunocompetent patients, liver transplant recipients show a lower prevalence of anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 antibodies and more pronounced antibody levels decline.

The combined presence of CYP2C8*3 and CYP2C9*2 (CYP2C8*3+CYP2C9*2 genotype), is a relevant determinant in the risk to develop gastrointestinal bleeding in patients receiving NSAID that are CYP2C8/9 substrates.