Two cases in one family of living donor liver transplantation for homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia

Evaluation of living donors for hereditary liver disease (siblings, heterozygotes)

Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is recognised as an alternative treatment modality to reduce waiting list mortality and expand the donor pool. Over recent decades, there have been an increasing number of reports on the use of LT and specifically LDLT for familial hereditary liver diseases. There are marginal indications and contraindications that should be considered for a living donor in paediatric parental LDLT. No mortality or morbidity related to recurrence of metabolic diseases has been observed with heterozygous donors, except for certain relevant cases, such as ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, protein C deficiency, hypercholesterolemia, protoporphyria, and Alagille syndrome, while donor human leukocyte antigen homozygosity also poses a risk. It is not always essential to perform preoperative genetic assays for possible heterozygous carriers; however, genetic and enzymatic assays must hereafter be included in the parental donor selection criteria in the aforementioned circumstances.

Marginal parental donors for pediatric living donor liver transplantation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Living donor liver transplantation (LT) has been increasingly recognized as an effective treatment modality with excellent patient survival. Indications for LT have evolved not only for cholestatic liver disease, but also metabolic liver diseases. Living donor selection, particularly for pediatric inherited disease, is essential to prevent morbidity, both in the donor and recipient.

RECENT FINDINGS

Based on 30 years of experience in pediatric living donor LT in Japan, we could identify marginal parental living donors who have potential risks following LT, including heterozygous mothers with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, heterozygous protein C deficiency, heterozygous hypercholesterolemia, heterozygous protoporphyria, asymptomatic parental donors with paucity of intrahepatic bile duct, and human leukocyte antigen-homozygous parental donors.

SUMMARY

Although these situations seem rare due to infrequency of the condition, careful living donor evaluation is required to optimize the outcomes for pediatric recipients. In the setting of an appropriate selection of a living donor, we should avoid any additional hazards, given that the procedure itself has risks for a healthy individual.