Patients with cirrhosis and very early iCCA may become candidates for liver transplantation; a prospective multicenter clinical trial is needed to further confirm these results. (Hepatology 2016;64:1178-1188).
Resistant bacterial infections are important causes of morbidity and mortality after liver transplantation (LT). This was a retrospective cohort study evaluating the outcomes associated with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) infections after LT. In a 2005-2006 cohort of 175 consecutive LT recipients, 91 infection episodes were observed in 61 patients (35%). The mortality rate 1 year after LT was 18% (32/175). Enterococcus (43%) and Klebsiella species (37%) were the most frequently isolated bacteria. CRKP infections occurred in 14 patients, and 10 of these patients (71%) died. Seven of these deaths occurred within 30 days of the CRKP infection. The median time to the onset of CRKP infections was 12 days (range ¼ 1-126 days) after LT. The survival rate was significantly lower for patients with a CRKP infection versus patients without a CRKP infection (29% versus 86%, log-rank P < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, the only pre-LT and post-LT clinical variables significantly associated with death were a Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score 30 (hazard ratio ¼ 3.4, P ¼ 0.04) and a post-LT CRKP infection (hazard ratio ¼ 4.9, P ¼ 0.007). In conclusion, the outcomes associated with CRKP infections in LT recipients are poor. Because the optimal treatment strategies for CRKP infections remain undefined, improved preventive strategies are needed to curtail the devastating impact of CRKP in LT recipients.
Use of very old donors in liver transplantation (LT) is controversial because advanced donor age is associated with a higher risk for graft dysfunction and worse long-term results, especially for hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive recipients. This was a retrospective, single-center review of primary, ABO-compatible LT performed between 2001 and 2010. Recipients were stratified in four groups based on donor age (<60 years; 60-69 years; 70-79 years and !80 years) and their outcomes were compared. A total of 842 patients were included: 348 (41.3%) with donors <60 years; 176 (20.9%) with donors 60-69 years; 233 (27.7%) with donors 70-79 years and 85 (10.1%) with donors !80 years. There was no difference across groups in terms of early ( 30 days) graft loss, and graft survival at 1 and 5 years was 90.5% and 78.6% for grafts <60 years; 88.6% and 81.3% for grafts 60-69 years; 87.6% and 75.1% for grafts 70-79 years and 84.7% and 77.1% for grafts !80 years (p ¼ 0.065). In the group !80 years, the 5-year graft survival was lower for HCV-positive versus HCV-negative recipients (62.4% vs. 85.6%, p ¼ 0.034). Based on our experience, grafts from donors !80 years may provide favorable results but require appropriate selection and allocation policies.
The up-to-seven (Up-to-7) criteria [with 7 being the sum of the size and number of tumors for any given hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)] have been recently proposed to identify potential candidates for liver transplantation (LT) among patients exceeding the Milan criteria. The aim of this study was to compare the ability of the available pathologic staging systems (the Milan, University of California San Francisco, and Up-to-7 criteria) to predict recurrence. A study population of 479 HCC transplanted patients was identified from prospectively collected databases at Mount Sinai Medical Center (New York, NY) and the University of Padua (Padua, Italy). The best pathologic staging system was identified with log rank, proportion separation index (PSEP), and Cox analyses. Pathologic tumor characteristics (tumor number, tumor size, sum of diameters, macroscopic and microscopic vascular invasion, and grading) were then tested by univariate and multivariate Cox analyses in the prognostic subgroups within and beyond the calculated criteria. The Up-to-7 criteria performed as the best pathologic staging system, the calculated 1-, 3-, and 5-year recurrence probabilities being 4%, 8%, and 14% within the criteria (n = 355) and 22%, 45%, 51% beyond the criteria (n = 124; P < 0.0001) and the calculated PSEP being 0.27 (95% confidence interval = 0.23-0.31). In multivariate analysis, only biological variables (vascular invasion and tumor grade) significantly predicted recurrence beyond the Up-to-7 criteria. A 3-stage pathologic staging system with a potential to be applied in the preoperative setting was thus created: within the Up-to-7 criteria (recurrence rate = 8%), beyond the Up-to-7 criteria without macrovascular invasion and poorly differentiated grade (recurrence rate = 24%), and beyond the Up-to-7 criteria with macrovascular invasion and/or poorly differentiated grade (recurrence rate = 45%). In conclusion, HCC patients within the pathologic Up-to-7 criteria were associated with a low risk of recurrence after LT. Beyond these criteria, however, a significant proportion of patients with a good HCC biological profile had an acceptable risk of recurrence.
To assess the immediate and long-term effects of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) in deceased donor. liver transplantation (LT), we designed a prospective, randomized controlled trial involving 60 donors: control group (CTL, n = 30) or study group (IPC, n = 30). IPC was induced by 10-min hiliar clamping immediately before recovery of organs. Clinical data and blood and liver samples were obtained in the donor and in the recipient for measurements. IPC significantly improved biochemical markers of liver cell function such as uric acid, hyaluronic acid and Hypoxia-Induced Factor-1alpha (HIF-1a ) levels. Moreover, the degree of apoptosis was significantly lower in the IPC group. On clinical basis, IPC significantly improved the serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels and reduced the need for reoperation in the postoperative period. Moreover, the incidence of primary nonfunction (PNF) was lower in the IPC group, but did not achieve statistical significance. We conclude that 10-min IPC protects against I/R injury in deceased donor LT.
Summary
The use of temporary porto‐caval shunt (TPCS) has been shown to improve hemodynamic stability and renal function in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). We evaluated the impact of TPCS in OLT and analyzed the differences according to model for end‐stage liver disease (MELD), donor risk index (DRI) and D‐MELD. This is a retrospective single‐center analysis of 148 consecutive OLT. Fifty‐eight OLT were performed using TPCS and 90 without TPCS. Donor and recipient data with pre‐OLT, intraoperative and postoperative variables were reviewed. Overall graft survival was 89.9% at 3 months and 81.7% at 1 year. Graft survival at 3 months and 1 year was 93.1% and 79.2%, respectively, in TPCS group versus 85.6% and 82.2%, respectively, in non‐TPCS group (P = NS). Intraoperative packed red blood cells requirement was lower in TPCS group (7.5 ± 5.8 vs. 12.2 ± 14.2, P = 0.006) and non‐TPCS group required higher intraoperative total dose of phenylephrine (16% vs. 28%, P = 0.04). TPCS group had lower 30‐day postoperative mortality (1.7% vs. 10%, P = 0.04), no difference was observed at 90 days. Graft survival was lower in patients with high DRI; in this group graft loss was higher at 1 month (25% vs. 4.3%, P = 0.005) and 3 months (25% vs. 4.3%, P = 0.005) when TPCS was not used. TPCS improves perioperative outcome, this being more evident when high‐risk grafts are placed into high‐risk patients.
Survival after both resection and transplantation for HCC was better in HBV- than in HCV-related HCC whereas recurrence was also lower for HBV-HCC in the resection group, these differences are influenced by both liver and tumor factors.
FCH occurs infrequently and is typified by hyperbilirubinemia, donor age of more than 50 years, extremely high HCV RNA and specific histological changes occurring within the first several months post-LT with extremely poor patient and graft survival. Histology alone is not reliable for the diagnosis of FCH, especially in the setting of recurrent HCV with concurrent biliary problems.
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