Nutrition in hepatic failure and liver transplantation

Malnutrition in Pediatric Chronic Cholestatic Disease: An Up-to-Date Overview

Despite recent advances, the causes of and effective therapies for pediatric chronic cholestatic diseases remain elusive, and many patients progress to liver failure and need liver transplantation. Malnutrition is a common complication in these patients and is a well-recognized, tremendous challenge for the clinician. We undertook a narrative review of both recent and relevant older literature, published during the last 20 years, for studies linking nutrition to pediatric chronic cholestasis. The collected data confirm that malnutrition and failure to thrive are associated with increased risks of morbidity and mortality, and they also affect the outcomes of liver transplantation, including long-term survival. Malnutrition in children with chronic liver disease is multifactorial and with multiple potential nutritional deficiencies. To improve life expectancy and the quality of life, patients require careful assessments and appropriate management of their nutritional statuses by multidisciplinary teams, which can identify and/or prevent specific deficiencies and initiate appropriate interventions. Solutions available for the clinical management of these children in general, as well as those directed to specific etiologies, are summarized. We particularly focus on fat-soluble vitamin deficiency and malnutrition due to fat malabsorption. Supplemental feeding, including medium-chain triglycerides, essential fatty acids, branched-chain amino acids, and the extra calories needed to overcome the consequences of anorexia and high energy requirements, is reviewed. Future studies should address the need for further improving commercially available and nutritionally complete infant milk formulae for the dietary management of this fragile category of patients. The aid of a specialist dietitian, educational training regarding nutritional guidelines for stakeholders, and improving family nutritional health literacy appear essential.

Molecular Mechanism Contributing to Malnutrition and Sarcopenia in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis

Liver cirrhosis is frequently accompanied by disease-related malnutrition (DRM) and sarcopenia, defined as loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. DRM and sarcopenia often coexist in cirrhotic patients and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The clinical manifestation of both comorbidities are triggered by multifactorial mechanisms including reduced nutrient and energy intake caused by dietary restrictions, anorexia, neuroendocrine deregulation, olfactory and gustatory deficits. Maldigestion and malabsorption due to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, pancreatic insufficiency or cholestasis may also contribute to DRM and sarcopenia. Decreased protein synthesis and increased protein degradation is the cornerstone mechanism to muscle loss, among others mediated by disease- and inflammation-mediated metabolic changes, hyperammonemia, increased myostatin and reduced human growth hormone. The concise pathophysiological mechanisms and interactions of DRM and sarcopenia in liver cirrhosis are not completely understood. Furthermore, most knowledge in this field are based on experimental models, but only few data in humans exist. This review summarizes known and proposed molecular mechanisms contributing to malnutrition and sarcopenia in liver cirrhosis and highlights remaining knowledge gaps. Since, in the prevention and treatment of DRM and sarcopenia in cirrhotic patients, more research is needed to identify potential biomarkers for diagnosis and development of targeted therapeutic strategies.

Nutritional Needs and Support for Children with Chronic Liver Disease

Malnutrition has become a dangerously common problem in children with chronic liver disease, negatively impacting neurocognitive development and growth. Furthermore, many children with chronic liver disease will eventually require liver transplantation. Thus, this association between malnourishment and chronic liver disease in children becomes increasingly alarming as malnutrition is a predictor of poorer outcomes in liver transplantation and is often associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Malnutrition requires aggressive and appropriate management to correct nutritional deficiencies. A comprehensive review of the literature has found that infants with chronic liver disease (CLD) are particularly susceptible to malnutrition given their low reserves. Children with CLD would benefit from early intervention by a multi-disciplinary team, to try to achieve nutritional rehabilitation as well as to optimize outcomes for liver transplant. This review explains the multifactorial nature of malnutrition in children with chronic liver disease, defines the nutritional needs of these children, and discusses ways to optimize their nutritional.

Nutritional Therapy in Liver Transplantation

Protein-energy malnourishment is commonly encountered in patients with end-stage liver disease who undergo liver transplantation. Malnutrition may further increase morbidity, mortality and costs in the post-transplantation setting. The importance of carefully assessing the nutritional status during the work-up of patients who are candidates for liver replacement is widely recognized. The metabolic abnormalities induced by liver failure render the conventional assessment of nutritional status to be challenging. Preoperative loss of skeletal muscle mass, namely, sarcopenia, has a significant detrimental impact on post-transplant outcomes. It is essential to provide sufficient nutritional support during all phases of liver transplantation. Oral nutrition is preferred, but tube enteral nutrition may be required to provide the needed energy intake. Herein, the latest currently employed perioperative nutritional interventions in liver transplant recipients are thoroughly illustrated including synbiotics, micronutrients, branched-chain amino acid supplementation, immunonutrition formulas, fluid and electrolyte balance, the offering of nocturnal meals, dietary counselling, exercise and rehabilitation.

Nutritional status using subjective global assessment independently predicts outcome of patients waiting for living donor liver transplant

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition is an important risk factor for adverse outcomes in patients awaiting liver transplant. Living donor liver transplant, being an elective procedure, allows nutritional rehabilitation and optimization of these patients before transplant.

AIM

This paper aimed to evaluate the outcome of end-stage liver disease (ESLD) patients with various degrees of malnutrition waiting for living donor liver transplant.

METHODS

Nutritional status was assessed using subjective global assessment (SGA) in patients who were evaluated for a liver transplant at our center from January 2015 to September 2015. All the data were collected prospectively. Predictive factors for mortality were analyzed using logistic regression and survival was obtained using Kaplan-Meier curves.

RESULTS

One hundred and seventeen patients were grouped based on their nutrition status into normal, mild-moderate, and severe malnutrition. The groups were comparable in terms of age, sex, etiology of liver disease except alcoholic liver disease. Graft recipient weight ratio was comparable among groups. There was no significant difference in hospital stay. However, severe malnourished patients had higher incidence of sepsis (p=0.005) and death due to sepsis (p=0.01). Nutritional status was the only independent predictor of mortality on multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

Nutritional status measured with SGA independently predicts short-term outcome of ESLD patients waiting and after living donor liver transplant.

Nutrition therapy: Integral part of liver transplant care

Managing malnutrition before liver transplantation (LTx) while on the waiting list and, excessive weight gain/metabolic disturbances in post-surgery are still a challenge in LTx care. The aim of this review is to support an interdisciplinary nutrition approach of these patients. Cirrhotic patients are frequently malnourished before LTx and this is associated with a poor prognosis. Although the relation between nutritional status versus survival, successful operation and recovery after LTx is well established, prevalence of malnutrition before the operation is still very high. Emerging research has also demonstrated that sarcopenia pre and post-transplant is highly prevalent, despite the weight gain in the postoperative period. The diagnosis of the nutritional status is the first step to address the adequate nutritional therapy. Nutritional recommendations and therapy to manage the nutritional status of LTx patients are discussed in this review, regarding counseling on adequate diets and findings of the latest research on using certain immunonutrients in these patients (branched chain amino-acids, pre and probiotics). Nutrition associated complications observed after transplantation is also described. They are commonly related to the adverse effects of immunosuppressive drugs, leading to hyperkalemia, hyperglycemia and weight gain. Excessive weight gain and post-transplant metabolic disorders have long been described in post-LTx and should be addressed in order to reduce associated morbidity and mortality.

Perioperative nutritional therapy in liver transplantation

Protein-energy malnutrition is frequently seen in patients with end-stage liver disease who undergo liver transplantation. This causes a deterioration of the patients' clinical condition and affects their post-transplantation survival. Accurate assessment of the nutritional status and adequate intervention are prerequisites for perioperative nutritional treatment. However, the metabolic abnormalities induced by liver failure make the traditional assessment of the nutritional status difficult. The methods that were recently developed for accurately assessing the nutritional status by body bioelectrical impedance may be implemented in pre-transplant management. Because preoperative malnutrition and the loss of skeletal muscle mass, called sarcopenia, have a significant negative impact on the post-transplantation outcome, it is essential to provide adequate nutritional support during all phases of liver transplantation. Oral nutrition is preferred, but tube enteral nutrition may be required to provide the necessary caloric intake. We herein discuss both bioelectrical impedance and the latest findings in the current perioperative nutritional interventions in liver transplant patients regarding synbiotics, micronutrients, branched-chain amino acid supplementation, the use of immune system modulating formulas, the fluid balance and the offering of nocturnal meals.

Nutritional interventions for liver-transplanted patients

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition is a common problem for patients waiting for orthotopic liver transplantation and a risk factor for post-transplant morbidity. The decision to initiate enteral or parenteral nutrition, to which patients and at which time, is still debated. The effects of nutritional supplements given before or after liver transplantation, or both, still remains unclear.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this review was to assess the beneficial and harmful effects of enteral and parenteral nutrition as well as oral nutritional supplements administered to patients before and after liver transplantation.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Hepato-Biliary Group Controlled Trials Register (March 2012), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Issue 2 of 12, 2012) in The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE (January 1946 to March 2012), EMBASE (January 1974 to March 2012), Science Citation Index Expanded (January 1900 to March 2012), Social Science Citation Index (January 1961 to October 2010), and reference lists of articles. Manufacturers and experts in the field have also been contacted and relevant journals and conference proceedings were handsearched (from 1997 to October 2010).

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised clinical trials of parallel or cross-over design evaluating the beneficial or harmful effects of enteral or parenteral nutrition or oral nutritional supplements for patients before and after liver transplantation were eligible for inclusion.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors independently assessed the risk of bias of the trials and extracted data. Dichotomous data were reported as odds ratios (OR) and continuous data as mean differences (MD) along with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). Meta-analysis was not possible due to clinical heterogeneity of included interventions.

MAIN RESULTS

Thirteen trials met the inclusion criteria. Four publications did not report outcomes pre-defined in the review protocol, or other clinically relevant outcomes and additional data could not be obtained. Nine trials could provide data for the review. Most of the 13 included trials were small and at high risk of bias. Meta-analyses were not possible due to clinical heterogeneity of the interventions.No interventions that were likely to be beneficial were identified.For interventions of unknown effectiveness,postoperative enteral nutrition compared with postoperative parenteral nutrition seemed to have no beneficial or harmful effects on clinical outcomes. Parenteral nutrition containing protein, fat, carbohydrates, and branched-chain amino acids with or without alanyl-glutamine seemed to have no beneficial effect on the outcomes of one and three years survival when compared with a solution of 5% dextrose and normal saline. Enteral immunonutrition with Supportan® seemed to have no effect on occurrence of immunological rejection when compared with enteral nutrition with Fresubin®.There is weak evidence that, compared with standard dietary advice, adding a nutritional supplement to usual diet for patients during the waiting time for liver transplantation had an effect on clinical outcomes after liver transplantation. The combination of enteral nutrition plus parenteral nutrition plus glutamine-dipeptide seemed to be beneficial in reducing length of hospital stay after liver transplantation compared with standard parenteral nutrition (mean difference (MD) -12.20 days; 95% CI -20.20 to -4.00). There is weak evidence that the use of parenteral nutrition plus branched-chain amino acids had an effect on clinical outcomes compared with standard parenteral nutrition, but each was beneficial in reducing length of stay in intensive care unit compared to a standard glucose solution (MD -2.40; 95% CI -4.29 to -0.51 and MD -2.20 days; 95% CI -3.79 to -0.61). There is weak evidence that adding omega-3 fish oil to parenteral nutrition reduced the length of hospital stay after liver transplantation (mean difference -7.1 days; 95% CI -13.02 to -1.18) and the length of stay in intensive care unit after liver transplantation (MD -1.9 days; 95% CI -1.9 to -0.22).For interventions unlikely to be beneficial, there is a significant increased risk in acute rejections in malnourished patients with a history of encephalopathy and treated with the nutritional supplement Ensure® compared with usual diet only (MD 0.70 events per patient; 95% CI 0.08 to 1.32).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We were unable to identify nutritional interventions for liver transplanted patients that seemed to offer convincing benefits. Further randomised clinical trials with low risk of bias and powerful sample sizes are needed.

Role of nutrition in pediatric chronic liver disease

The liver plays a central role in energy and nutrient metabolism. Malnutrition is highly prevalent among patients with chronic liver disease and leads to increased morbidity and mortality rates. This review addresses the causes of malnutrition, methods used to assess nutrition status, and appropriate treatment strategies in pediatric patients with chronic liver disease.

Nutrition support with glutamine dipeptide in patients undergoing liver transplantation

AIM

The effect of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) support supplemented with alanyl-glutamine (Ala-Gln) dipeptide was investigated in a randomized, controlled clinical trial.

METHODS

Sixty-five patients with the diagnosis of end-stage liver disease or hepatic cellular carcinoma admitted for orthotopic liver transplantation were randomly divided into 3 groups: diet group (n = 21), TPN group (n = 22), and Gln group (n = 22). Patients in the TPN and Gln groups received isocaloric and isonitrogenous TPN for 7 days. Venous heparin blood samples were obtained for assay on days 2 and 9 after surgery; we performed routine pathologic tests.

RESULTS

Compared with the results on day 9 in the TPN group, there was a significant increase in the prognostic nutrition index and in prealbumin among the Gln group. Aspartate aminotransferase improved significantly by Gln treatment compared with traditional TPN support (P < .05). The pathologic results also showed Gln supplementation to reduce hepatic cell injury. A significant decrease in postoperative hospital stay was observed in the Gln group.

CONCLUSIONS

Posttransplant TPN support greatly improved protein metabolism and nutritional state of patients. TPN with Ala-Gln helped to improve synthetic function and to reduce the injury to a transplanted liver.

Optimizing nutritional management in children with chronic liver disease

Malnutrition is common in infants and children with chronic liver disease (CLD) and may easily be underestimated by clinical appearance alone. The cause of malnutrition in CLD is multifactorial, although insufficient dietary intake is probably the most important factor and is correctable. Fat malabsorption occurs in cholestatic disorders, and one must also consider any accompanying fat-soluble vitamin and essential fatty acid deficiencies. The clinician should proactively evaluate, treat, and re-evaluate response to treatment of nutritional deficiencies. Because a better nutritional state is associated with better survival before and after liver transplantation, aggressive nutritional management is an important part of the care of these children.

Role of nutrition in liver transplantation for end-stage chronic liver disease

Patients with end-stage liver disease often reveal significant protein-energy malnutrition, which may deteriorate after listing for transplantation. Since malnutrition affects post-transplant survival, precise assessment must be an integral part of pre- and post-surgical management. While there is wide agreement that aggressive treatment of nutritional deficiencies is required, strong scientific evidence supporting nutritional therapy is sparse. In practice, oral nutritional supplements are preferred over parenteral nutrition, but enteral tube feeding may be necessary to maintain adequate calorie intake. Protein restriction should be avoided and administration of branched-chain amino acids may help yield a sufficient protein supply. Specific problems such as micronutrient deficiency, fluid balance, cholestasis, encephalopathy, and comorbid conditions need attention in order to optimize patient outcome.

Nutrition for the liver transplant patient

Patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) frequently have diverse abnormalities of carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism that cause progressive deterioration of their clinical condition and lead to malnutrition. Malnutrition is almost universally present in patients with ESLD undergoing liver transplantation and has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. It is essential to identify and correct nutritional deficiencies in this population and provide an adequate nutritional support during all phases of liver transplantation. In conclusion, this article reviews the etiologic factors, prevalence, assessment and management guidelines of nutritional disorders seen in patients with ESLD undergoing liver transplantation.

Nutritional markers in liver allograft recipients

BACKGROUND

Malnutrition is common in patients with end-stage liver disease considered for transplantation, but it is unclear whether this affects the outcome after transplantation. AIM.: To determine whether the severity of malnutrition in liver transplant candidates affects outcome after transplantation.

METHODS

We did a prospective study of 61 patients with chronic liver disease accepted for transplantation.

FINDINGS

The Child-Pugh and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score correlated significantly but weakly with the mid-arm circumference (MAC) (rho=-0.34 and -0.31, P=0.015 and 0.025, respectively) but not with hand-grip strength, triceps skin-fold thickness (TSFT), or mid-arm muscle circumference. The Child-Pugh score but not the MELD was significantly associated with intensive therapy unit stay but not eventual outcome; there was a weak but statistically significant correlation between death and MAC (rho=+0.29, P=0.04) and TSFT (rho=+0.25, P=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that nutritional parameters and markers of disease severity do not correlate well with outcomes after transplantation.

Nutritional aspects of liver transplantation

Most adult and pediatric liver transplantation candidates present several metabolic disturbances that lead to malnutrition. Because malnutrition may adversely affect morbidity and mortality of orthotopic liver transplantation, it is very important to carefully assess the nutritional status of the waiting list patients. Pretransplant nutritional therapy -- enteral or parenteral -- may positively influence liver metabolism, muscle function, and immune status. Nutrition therapy should continue in the short- and also in the long-term post-transplant periods. For malnourished patients, early post-transplant enteral or parenteral nutrition have been useful in improving nutritional status. Finally, the metabolic and nutritional care of the liver transplant donor must be considered to reduce allograft dysfunction indices.