Liver transplantation for HBV-related cirrhosis in Europe: an ELTR study on evolution and outcomes

BACKGROUND & AIMS

HBV-related chronic liver disease is one of the most common indications for liver transplantation (LT) in Europe. The ELTR database was used to evaluate outcomes and evolution over 20 years (01/1988 and 12/2010).

METHODS

HBV transplanted patients were analysed according to indication for LT: decompensated cirrhosis (HBVdec) or hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV/HCC). These groups were compared with co-infected patients HBV/HDV (HBDV), HBV/HCV (HBCV), HBV/HDV/HCV (HBDCV); n = 16,664 and with HCV patients (n = 2452) according to LT indication.

RESULTS

5912 patients were transplanted for HBV (78% HBVdec, 22% HBV/HCC), with HBV/HCC patients who increased from 15.8% in 1988-1995 to 29.6% in 2006-2010 (p < 0.001). In HBVdec patients, 1, 3, 5, and 10 year patient and graft survival was 83%, 78%, 75%, 68%, and 80%, 74%, 71%, 64%, respectively, significantly better than HBV/HCC (84%, 73%, 68%, 61%, and 81%, 70%, 65%, 58% respectively; p = 0.001 and p = 0.026). In 2006-2010 patient and graft survival significantly improved compared to 1988-1995, both for HBVdec and HBV/HCC (each p < 0.001). A better patient and graft survival was seen in HBV/HCC patients with HBV-DNA(-) compared to HBV-DNA(+) at the time of LT (p < 0.001). Disease recurrence, as cause of death/graft loss, was significantly reduced in recent years compared to the past: currently <1% for HBVdec and 3% for HBV/HCC.

CONCLUSIONS

Outcomes of LT for HBV have improved in recent years, with disease recurrence being no longer a significant cause of death/graft loss. HBV-DNA at the time of LT seems to influence survival only in HBV/HCC patients.

Interferon for interferon nonresponding and relapsing patients with chronic hepatitis C

BACKGROUND

The widely-accepted treatment outcome for chronic hepatitis C is the sustained viral response (that is, no measurable viral RNA in blood six months after treatment). However, this surrogate outcome (as well as the previously employed biochemical and histologic ones) has never been validated. This situation exists because there are very few randomized clinical trials that have used clinical events (mortality or manifestations of decompensated cirrhosis) as outcomes, because those clinical events only occur after many years of infection. Patients in whom initial therapy fails to produce sustained viral responses do become potential candidates for retreatment; some of these individuals are not candidates for ribavirin or protease inhibitors and consideration could be given to retreatment with interferon alone.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the benefits and harms of interferon monotherapy retreatment in chronic hepatitis C patients and to validate the currently employed surrogate outcomes in this group of patients.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched The Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group Controlled Trials Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Science Citation Index Expanded until 16 August 2012.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomized trials comparing interferon versus placebo or no treatment in chronic hepatitis C nonresponders and relapsers to previous interferon.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

The primary outcomes were mortality (all-cause and hepatic), quality of life, and adverse events. Secondary outcomes were liver-related morbidity, sustained viral responses, biochemical responses, histologic improvements, and costs. We used both fixed-effect and random-effects model meta-analyses, reporting only the former if no difference existed.

MAIN RESULTS

Seven trials were identified. Two of them were at low risk of bias (the HALT-C and EPIC3 trials) and included 1676 patients. Both of these trials addressed the role of long-term low-dose pegylated interferon therapy in patients with severe fibrosis (demonstrated on liver biopsy) and were designed to assess the clinical outcomes. The remaining five trials included 300 patients and were at high risk of bias. Based on all trials reporting the outcomes, no significant difference was observed in either all-cause mortality (78/843 (9.3%) versus 62/867 (7.2%); risk ratio (RR) 1.30, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.95 to 1.79; 3 trials) or hepatic mortality (41/532 (7.7%) versus 40/552 (7.2%); RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.70 to 1.63; 2 trials); however, when only the two trials at low risk of bias were combined, all-cause mortality was significantly higher in the recipients of the pegylated interferon (78/828 (9.4%) versus 57/848 (6.7%); RR 1.41, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.96) although trial sequential analysis could not exclude the possibility of random error. There was less variceal bleeding in the recipients of the interferon (4/843 (0.5%) versus 18/867 (2.1%); RR 0.24, 95% CI 0.09 to 0.67; 3 trials), although again trial sequential analysis could not exclude the presence of a type I error and the effect could not be confirmed in a random-effects model meta-analysis. No significant differences were seen with regard to the development of ascites, encephalopathy, hepatocellular carcinoma, or the need for liver transplantation. One trial reported quality of life data; the pain score was significantly worse in the recipients of the pegylated interferon. Adverse effects tended to be more common in the interferon recipients; the ones that were significantly more common included hematologic complications, infections, flu-like symptoms, and rash. The recipients of interferon had significantly more sustained viral responses (20/557 (3.6%) versus 1/579 (0.2%); RR 15.38, 95% CI 2.93 to 80.71; 4 trials) and a type I error was excluded by trial sequential analysis. The METAVIR activity score also improved (36/55 (65%) versus 20/46 (43.5%); RR 1.49, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.18; 2 trials). No significant differences were seen with regard to histologic fibrosis assessments.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

The clinical data were limited to patients with histologic evidence of severe fibrosis who were retreated with pegylated interferon. In this scenario, retreatment with interferon did not appear to provide significant clinical benefit and, when only the trials at low risk of bias were considered, retreatment for several years may even have increased all-cause mortality. Such treatment also produced adverse events. On the other hand, the treatment did result in improvement in some surrogate outcomes, namely sustained viral responses and histologic evidence of inflammation. Interferon monotherapy retreatment cannot be recommended for these patients. No clinical data are available for patients with less severe fibrosis. The sustained viral response cannot be used as a surrogate marker for hepatitis C treatment in this clinical setting with low sustained viral response rates and needs to be validated in others in which higher sustained viral response rates are reported.

New therapeutic paradigm for patients with cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is a major health problem, being the 5th cause of death in the U.K. and 12th in the U.S., but 4th in the 45 to 54 age group. Until recently cirrhosis was considered a single and terminal disease stage, with an inevitably poor prognosis. However, it is now clear that 1-year mortality can range from 1% in early cirrhosis to 57% in decompensated disease. As the only treatment for advanced cirrhosis is liver transplantation, what is urgently needed is strategies to prevent transition to decompensated stages. The evidence we present in this review clearly demonstrates that management of patients with cirrhosis should change from an expectant algorithm that treats complications as they occur, to preventing the advent of all complications while in the compensated phase. This requires maintaining patients in an asymptomatic phase and not significantly affecting their quality of life with minimal impairment due to the therapies themselves. This could be achieved with lifestyle changes and combinations of already licensed and low-cost drugs, similar to the paradigm of treating risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The drugs are propranolol, simvastatin, norfloxacin, and warfarin, which in combination would cost £128/patient annually-equivalent to U.S. $196/year. This treatment strategy requires randomized controlled trials to establish improvements in outcomes. In the 21st century, cirrhosis should be regarded as a potentially treatable disease with currently available and inexpensive therapies.

Recurrence of autoimmune liver diseases after liver transplantation: clinical aspects

Autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis are autoimmune liver diseases characterized by progressive immune-mediated inflammation leading to the destruction of the hepatocytes and the biliary epithelial cells, and eventually to cirrhosis and liver failure. The ultimate treatment of these diseases, upon the establishment of end-stage liver disease, includes liver transplantation (LT). Recurrence of autoimmune liver diseases after LT is an entity increasingly recognized in the last few decades. The mechanisms driving recurrence remain poorly understood. The accurate diagnosis of the recurrence and the proper management of the affected patients remains a clinical challenge. This review discusses clinical aspects related to the recurrence of autoimmune liver diseases after LT. The main goals of this review are to discuss the reasons explaining the variability of the incidence rates of recurrent autoimmune disease and the outcome and risk factors for recurrent disease. We discuss in detail the diagnostic criteria and the treatment options of these disorders.

Cardiac dysfunction in cirrhosis - does adrenal function play a role? A hypothesis

Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (CCM), a condition of unknown pathogenesis, is characterized by suboptimal ventricular contractile response to stress, diastolic dysfunction and QT interval prolongation. It is most often found in patients with advanced cirrhosis. It is clinically relevant during stressful conditions, such as sepsis, bleeding and surgery. CCM reverses after liver transplantation and potentially has a role in the pathogenesis of hepatorenal syndrome. In adrenal insufficiency (AI), cardiac dysfunction is a feature with low ejection fraction, decreased left ventricular chamber size and electrocardiographic abnormalities, including QT interval prolongation. With optimal diagnostic tests, AI is present in approximately 10% of patients with cirrhosis, particularly in those with advanced disease. Down-regulation and decreased number of beta-adrenergic receptors, and high catecholamine levels are common to both cardiac conditions. Thus, AI may play a role in CCM. Steroid replacement therapy reverses cardiac changes in AI, and may do so for CCM, with important therapeutic implications; this needs formal evaluation.

Tacrolimus trough levels, rejection and renal impairment in liver transplantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

We hypothesized that current trough concentrations of tacrolimus after liver transplantation are set too high, considering that clinical consequences of rejection are not severe while side effects are increased.We systematically reviewed 64 studies (32 randomized controlled trials and 32 observational studies) to determine how lower tacrolimus trough concentrations than currently recommended affect acute rejection rates and renal impairment. Among randomized trials the mean of tacrolimus trough concentration during the first month was positively correlated with renal impairment within 1 year (r = 0.73; p = 0.003), but not with acute rejection, either defined using protocol biopsies (r = -0.37; p = 0.32) or not (r = 0.11; p = 0.49). A meta-analysis of randomized trials directly comparing tacrolimus trough concentrations (five trials for acute rejection [n = 957] and two trials for renal impairment [n = 712]) showed that "reduced tacrolimus" trough concentrations (<10 ng/mL) within the first month after liver transplantation were associated with less renal impairment at 1 year (RR = 0.51 [0.38-0.69]), with no significant influence on acute rejection (RR = 0.92 [0.65-1.31]) compared to "conventional tacrolimus" trough levels (>10 ng/mL). Lower trough concentrations of tacrolimus (6-10 ng/mL during the first month) would be more appropriate after liver transplantation. Regulatory authorities and the pharmaceutical industry should allow changes of regulatory drug information.

The Eurotransplant donor risk index in liver transplantation: ET-DRI

Recently we validated the donor risk index (DRI) as conducted by Feng et al. for the Eurotransplant region. Although this scoring system is a valid tool for scoring donor liver quality, for allocation purposes a scoring system tailored for the Eurotransplant region may be more appropriate. Objective of our study was to investigate various donor and transplant risk factors and design a risk model for the Eurotransplant region. This study is a database analysis of all 5939 liver transplantations from deceased donors into adult recipients from the 1st of January 2003 until the 31st of December 2007 in Eurotransplant. Data were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models. From 5723 patients follow-up data were available with a mean of 2.5 years. After multivariate analysis the DRI (p < 0.0001), latest lab GGT (p = 0.005) and rescue allocation (p = 0.007) remained significant. These factors were used to create the Eurotransplant Donor Risk Index (ET-DRI). Concordance-index calculation shows this ET-DRI to have high predictive value for outcome after liver transplantation. Therefore, we advise the use of this ET-DRI for risk indication and possibly for allocation purposes within the Eurotrans-plant region.

Transarterial therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma

Transarterial therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma are considered palliative and should be offered to patients with intermediate stage multinodular disease without extra-hepatic metastases and sufficient liver reserve. They mainly include transarterial chemoembolisation and transarterial embolisation. While transarterial therapy is now a validated treatment for unresectable HCC, there is still a lack of conclusive evidence as to which type and schedule is the optimal procedure. This is mainly due to the lack of standardisation. Combining local therapies or intra-arterial therapies with systemic targeted therapies might prove more effective strategies in the future. In the present article, we review transarterial therapies and critically comment on their indications, complications and outcomes.

Cytomegalovirus replication kinetics in solid organ transplant recipients managed by preemptive therapy

After allotransplantation, cytomegalovirus (CMV) may be transmitted from the donor organ, giving rise to primary infection in a CMV negative recipient or reinfection in one who is CMV positive. In addition, latent CMV may reactivate in a CMV positive recipient. In this study, serial blood samples from 689 kidney or liver transplant recipients were tested for CMV DNA by quantitative PCR. CMV was managed using preemptive antiviral therapy and no patient received antiviral prophylaxis. Dynamic and quantitative measures of viremia and treatment were assessed. Median peak viral load, duration of viremia and duration of treatment were highest during primary infection, followed by reinfection then reactivation. In patients who experienced a second episode of viremia, the viral replication rate was significantly slower than in the first episode. Our data provide a clear demonstration of the immune control of CMV in immunosuppressed patients and emphasize the effectiveness of the preemptive approach for prevention of CMV syndrome and end organ disease. Overall, our findings provide quantitative biomarkers which can be used in pharmacodynamic assessments of the ability of novel CMV vaccines or antiviral drugs to reduce or even interrupt such transmission.

Dystonia with brain manganese accumulation resulting from SLC30A10 mutations: a new treatable disorder

Background

The first gene causing early-onset generalized dystonia with brain manganese accumulation has recently been identified. Mutations in the SLC30A10 gene, encoding a manganese transporter, cause a syndrome of hepatic cirrhosis, dystonia, polycythemia, and hypermanganesemia.

Methods

We present 10-year longitudinal clinical features, MRI data, and treatment response to chelation therapy of the originally described patient with a proven homozygous mutation in SLC30A10.

Results

The patient presented with early-onset generalized dystonia and mild hyperbilirubinemia accompanied by elevated whole-blood manganese levels. T1-sequences in MRI showed hyperintensities in the basal ganglia and cerebellum, characteristic of manganese deposition. Treatment with intravenous disodium calcium edetate led to clinical improvement and reduction of hyperintensities in brain imaging.

Conclusions

We wish to highlight this rare disorder, which, together with Wilson's disease, is the only potentially treatable inherited metal storage disorder to date, that otherwise can be fatal as a result of complications of cirrhosis. © 2012 Movement Disorder Society

Liver transplant for adult hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: case report and literature review

We report the case of a middle-aged man who died from multiorgan failure 3 weeks after orthotopic liver transplant for fulminant hepatic failure, associated with a rare, often fatal, hematologic condition that usually presents in childhood. We discuss the importance of its diagnosis, treatment, and implications for liver transplant.

Diagnostic and clinical utility of antibodies against the nuclear body promyelocytic leukaemia and Sp100 antigens in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis

BACKGROUND

The lack of an immunoassay that detects antibodies to promyelocytic leukaemia (PML) protein, the primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC)-specific multiple nuclear dot (MND) antigen, has prompted us to develop a line immunoassay (LIA) for the simultaneous detection of PML and Sp100 MND-specific autoantibodies.

METHODS

PML and Sp100 were expressed in Escherichia coli, and analysed by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting using a monoclonal antibody and MALDI-ToF fingerprinting. A quantitative PML and Sp100 LIA were developed and testing was performed in 150 anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA) positive, 20 AMA-PBCs and 130 controls.

RESULTS

Thirty-five (23%) of 150 AMA+ PBCs (18 anti-MND+) were anti-PML+ (12%) or anti-Sp100+ (20%), 10 being anti-PML+/Sp100+, 5 single anti-PML+ and 20 single anti-Sp100+. Six (30%, 5 anti-MND+) AMA-PBCs were anti-PML+ or Sp100+. Only 2 (1.7%) pathological controls were anti-PML+ and/or anti-Sp100+. Levels of anti-PML correlated with those of anti-Sp100 (R=0.64, p<0.0001). The autoantibody profile largely remained unchanged over a 10year-follow up (52 patients, 352 samples). Anti-PML, Sp100 or MND-reactive PBCs were younger and had longer disease duration than the seronegative (p=0.06, for both). Anti-Sp100 levels correlated with the Mayo risk score (r=0.63, p=0.01). Anti-PML+/Sp100+ patients had more advanced disease compared to patients negative for anti-PML/Sp100 (p=0.04).

CONCLUSION

The new line immunoassay offers a robust and accurate method for the detection of clinically-relevant PBC-specific anti-MND antibodies.

Autoimmunity and environment: am I at risk?

The complex interplay between environmental factors and genetic susceptibility plays an essential role in disease pathogenesis. This is especially true for autoimmunity, where clinical reports, genomic and epidemiological studies, as well as animal models have identified several environmental and genetic risk factors associated with autoimmune disease. The complexity of this relationship is demonstrated by the vast array of environmental factors that have now been implicated in the induction, and possibly the maintenance of autoimmune disease. The multitude of environmental factors implicated includes both infectious and non-infectious agents. Here, we review one specific autoimmune disease, primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), as a model for environmental risk factors acting in concert with genetic susceptibility in the disease pathogenesis. PBC is an ideal model, as both infectious and non-infectious environmental agents have been identified as risk factors, and their study provides clues for unravelling the pathogenesis of the disease.

Liver transplantation for acute liver failure in Europe: outcomes over 20 years from the ELTR database

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Liver transplantation for acute liver failure (ALF) still has a high early mortality. We evaluated changes during 20 years, and identified risk factors for poor outcome.

METHODS

Donor, graft, and recipient variables from the European Liver Transplant Registry database (January 1988-June 2009), were analysed. Aetiologies and time periods were compared. Three and 12-month survival models were generated from separate training data sets, which were validated. A sub-analysis was performed for recipient older than 50 years.

RESULTS

Four thousand nine hundred and three patients were evaluated. One, 5- and 10-year patient, and graft survival rates were 74%, 68%, 63%, and 63%, 57%, 50%, respectively. Survival was better in 2004-2009 compared to previous quinquennia (p<0.001), despite donors >60 years increased from 1.8% to 21%. A higher incidence of suicide or non-adherence occurred in paracetamol-related ALF (p<0.001). Death or graft loss were independently associated with male recipients (adjusted OR 1.25), recipient >50 years (1.26), incompatible ABO matching (1.93), donors >60 years (1.21), and reduced size graft (1.54). For both 3- and 12-month models, incompatible ABO matching, non-viral aetiology, reduced size graft, and non-UW preservation fluid were associated with increased mortality/graft loss, whereas male recipients and age >50 years were associated only at 12 months. Both models had reasonable discriminative ability with good calibration at 3 months. Recipients >50 years, combined with donors >60 years resulted in 57% mortality/graft loss within the first year.

CONCLUSIONS

Survival after liver transplantation has improved despite increases in donor/recipient age. Recipients >50 years paired with donors >60 years had a very high mortality/graft loss within the first year.

HCV in liver transplantation

HCV-related cirrhosis represents the leading indication for liver transplantation in the Western countries. HCV reinfection after liver transplantation occurs in virtually all patients transplanted for HCV-related liver disease Histological evidence of chronic HCV infection develops in 50 to 90 % of patients by 12 months after liver transplantation, and cirrhosis occurs in about 20 % of patients within 5 years after transplant. Several studies have evaluated host, viral, and transplant-related factors that might be associated with the severity of HCV recurrence. Among host factors, immunosuppression is one of the major factors that accounts for accelerated HCV recurrence and it has been an area of extensive research and controversy. Donor age, steatosis, and immunogenetic factors are also relevant in determining the outcome in patients transplanted for HCV-related cirrhosis. A major step to prevent complications of HCV recurrence related to the rapid fibrosis is the posttransplant antiviral treatment. Two strategies have been tried: pre-emptive or other strategies as soon as possible after liver transplantation or elective therapy once there is histological evidence of recurrent hepatitis C. Retransplantation due to graft failure from recurrent hepatitis C is rarely an option in the era of organ shortage as it is associated with poor outcome, but many case needs to be considered early in the evolution of disease. New antivirals may change the outcome dramatically of patients transplanted for HCV cirrhosis.