Liver Transplantation最新文献

The gap between organ supply and demand in liver transplantation remains large in most parts of the world. One strategy to increase the donor pool is to use grafts infected with HCV, HBV, and/or HIV viruses. We aimed to explore the current use of HBsAg-positive liver grafts worldwide. A prospective cross-sectional web-based survey was designed, with a total of 28 queries, assessing national and local regulations, center experience, and center-specific experience related to the topic, and sent to all members of International Liver Transplantation Society, European Association for the Study of the Liver, and American Association for the Study of the Liver, and promoted on social media. A total of 135 liver transplant centers answered the survey: 38% from WHO European Regions, 39% from American regions, and 9.7% from South-East Asian regions. Most of the participating centers (67.3%) had been performing liver transplantation for over 15 years, with a mean of 66.5 liver transplants per year, and 54% also performed living-donor liver transplants. HBV-related disease was the indication for liver transplantation in an average of 15% of all liver transplantation cases. Regarding national and/or regional regulations, 40% of the centers reported that the use of HBsAg-positive donors was permitted, and an additional 20% could use them under special circumstances. Thirty-two centers (31%) had previously used HBsAg-positive donors. Among these centers, 62.5% conducted living-donor liver transplants and showed an increased inclination toward the use of HBsAg-positive grafts in centers with elevated waitlist mortality. HBsAg-positive donors are underutilized worldwide. The use of HBsAg-positive liver grafts could help to increase the donor pool, particularly in highly endemic areas.

Liver transplantation (LTX) using donors after controlled circulatory death (cDCD) is associated with poorer graft survival and increased incidence of nonanastomotic biliary strictures (NASs) compared to livers procured from brain-dead donors (DBD). The use of normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) during cDCD procurement may improve posttransplant outcomes and reduce the incidence of NAS. In Sweden, cDCD LTX was introduced through a national pilot protocol with mandatory NRP. This study aims to evaluate the outcome of cDCD LTX during the pilot period. Donor and recipient data were collected on all cDCD liver transplants during the pilot period between January 2020 to December 2022. Outcome on NAS, patient and graft survival, early allograft dysfunction, acute kidney injury, and comprehensive complication index was compared to a matched cohort of 28 patients transplanted with a DBD liver between 2018 and 2022. Eighteen patients were transplanted with a liver from a cDCD donor after using NRP. The mean functional warm ischemia time was 29 ± 6 minutes. The mean lactate reduction during NRP was 8.7 ± 2.4 mmol/L, and the end NRP perfusate alanine aminotransferase was 1.4 ± 1 µkat/L. When comparing recipients of cDCD liver transplant to DBD, no significant differences were observed in the incidence of NAS, patient and graft survival, comprehensive complication index, early allograft dysfunction, or acute kidney injury. Study protocol magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in cDCD patients showed no signs of subclinical biliary strictures. Evaluation of the Swedish national pilot of cDCD LTX with mandatory NRP shows comparable outcomes to a matched DBD cohort with 94.4% 1-year patient and graft survival and no incidence of NAS within the first year.

Introduction: In obese patients, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease is becoming a leading aetiology of end-stage liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Simultaneous liver transplantation and sleeve gastrectomy (LT-SG) has been proposed in the US, but the safety and efficacy of the procedure have not been widely explored in Europe.

Methods: Between January 2016 and December 2022, morbidly obese patients listed for LT at Tor Vergata University were enrolled in the LT-SG study. Primary outcomes were: i) safety expressed as 30- and 90-days overall survival (OS) and ii) major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo > IIIa). The secondary outcome was efficacy expressed as a 3-year %excess BMI loss(%EBMIL).

Results: Eleven patients were enrolled in the study. The median BMI at transplantation was 42 (IQR 38-48). Indications to LT-SG were HCC (63.6%) and cirrhosis (36.4%). In 54% of cases, donors had high-risk characteristics (ET-DRI>1.6). The 30 and 90-day OS were 63.6% and 54.5%, respectively. All deaths occurred in patients with p-SOFT>15 or in patients who had at least three of the following characteristics: >60 years, BMI >45, metabolic syndrome, MELD>25 or ET-DRI >1.6. The six months, 1, 2 and 3 years %excess BMI loss was 73%, 60%, 50% and 43%, respectively.

Conclusions: LT-SG is a complex procedure thatmay carry excess risk in an unselected population. It should be considered only in highly selected patients. Standard donors are recommended and prioritization of severely obese patients on the waiting list should be considered.

The consequences of unintended pregnancy in liver transplant (LT) recipients, a growing part of the high-risk obstetric population, remain unknown. To fill this gap, we conducted a retrospective registry cohort study to describe the risk factors, obstetric and neonatal morbidity, and graft outcomes associated with unintended pregnancy after LT. This study utilized the Transplant Pregnancy Registry International (TPRI) and included 565 pregnancies of LT recipients between 1967 and 2019 from 289 hospitals, primarily in North America. The primary outcome of acute cellular rejection (ACR) and secondary outcomes of graft loss, severe maternal morbidity, and neonatal composite morbidity were compared by pregnancy intention. The study population included 60.9% with intended pregnancies and 39.1% unintended pregnancies. Recipients with unintended pregnancy were more likely to self-report as Black race, to be younger, nulliparous, and have exposure to teratogenic immunosuppression. ACR was more common with unintended pregnancy (3.7% vs 1.2%, p=0.047). Unintended pregnancies had lower median birth weight (2806.6 vs 2948.4 grams, p=0.033). Unintended pregnancy was not associated with increased neonatal morbidity or severe maternal morbidity. These findings underscore the importance of family planning counseling, access to safe and effective contraceptive options, as well as multidisciplinary prenatal care in the growing population of reproductive-aged LT recipients.

Background: With longer survival of patients with PSC undergoing liver transplantation (LT), the frequency and risk factors associated with vascular and biliary complications in the allograft and the impact on long-term outcomes are poorly understood.

Aim: To assess frequency and risk factors for long term outcomes in patients post-LT for PSC.

Methods: All LT recipients for advanced stage PSC for non-cholangiocarcinoma indication from 1984-2012, with follow-up through March 2022 (>10+year followup) were idenitfied. 1-, 5-, and 10-yr cumulative risks of complications were estimated using the Aalen-Johansen method, where death was considered a competing risk.

Results: Two hundred ninety-three patients (mean age, 47.3±12 y), formed our study cohort. One hundred and thirty-four patients received LT before 1995 and the 159 were transplanted after 1995. Over a median (interquartile range) follow-up of 15.0 (10.3-22.1) years, LT was complicated by hepatic artery thrombosis (N=30), portal vein stenosis/thrombosis (N=48), biliary leak (N=47), biliary strictures (N=87), rPSC (N=107), and graft failure (N=70). The 1-, 5-, 10-, and 15-year cumulative incidence of rPSC was 1.0%, 8.0%, 23.5%, and 34.3% respectively. Type of donor and older donor age were associated with increased risk of biliary strictures. Donor age >60 years was associated with increased risk of rPSC.

Conclusion: Long-term patient and graft-survival have not changed significantly for patients transplanted for PSC. Controlling transplant related factors such as donor age, prompt identification of vascular and biliary complications early and long-term rigorous followup is recommended to continue to improve on these outcomes.

Background and aims: Given the increasing demand of patients requiring liver transplant who are 70 years or older and have may have health conditions, this study aimed to assess the outcomes of Living Donor Liver Transplant (LDLT) recipients, in this age group.

Methods: We conducted an analysis using a prospective registry that included all LDLT recipients from January 2011 to May 2023. Patients into two age groups; 18-69 years and 70 years or older and compared their short- term and long-term outcomes. We considered complications as major if they were Grade ≥3a (Dindo-Clavian).

Results: Among 1018 LDLT recipients, 71 (7%) were aged 70 years or older. The rates of post-transplant complications of any severity were comparable between the younger and older age groups (467% vs. 46%, p =0.983), as were the rates of major complications (25% vs. 25%, p =0.995) and in-hospital mortality (6% vs. 7%, p =0.800). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year graft survival rates were 94%, 86%, and 81% in the younger group and 92%, 87%, and 65% in the older group ( p =0.090). Similarly, the overall 1-, 3-, and 5-year recipient survival rates were 90%, 85%, and 86% in the younger group and 88%, 86%, and 65% in the older group ( p =0.100).

Conclusion: This study suggests that carefully selected elderly patients can undergo LDLT and achieve comparable short-term outcomes to their younger counterparts.