Impact of intraoperative vascular occlusion during liver surgery on long-term outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Interleukin-41: a novel serum marker for the diagnosis of alpha-fetoprotein-negative hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

For the lack of effective serum markers for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) diagnosis, it is difficult to detect liver cancer and identify its recurrence early.

Methods

Databases were used to analyze the genes potentially associated with alpha-fetoprotein(AFP). ELISA assay was used to detect the serum IL-41 in HCC, liver metastases, hepatitis, and healthy people. Immunohistochemical staining was used to analyze the relative quantification of IL-41 in HCC and paracancer tissues. Various survival curves were plotted according to clinical pathological data and helped us draw the ROC curve of IL-41 diagnosis of HCC.

Results

The serum expression of IL-41 was highest in AFP negative HCC patients and significantly higher than that in AFP positive HCC and metastatic cancer patients. There was a significant negative correlation between elevated serum IL-41 and AFP(<1500ng/ml). The clinicopathological features suggested that the serum IL-41 level was significantly correlated with capsule invasion, low differentiation and AFP. High serum expression of IL-41 suggests poorer survival and earlier recurrence after resection, and IL-41 upregulated in patients with early recurrence and death. The expression of IL-41 was higher in HCC tissues of patients with multiple tumors or microvascular invasion. The ROC curve showed that serum IL-41 had a sensitivity of 90.17 for HCC and a sensitivity of 96.63 for AFP-negative HCC, while the specificity was higher than 61%.

Conclusion

IL-41 in serum and tissue suggests poor prognosis and postoperative recurrence in HCC patients and could be a new serum diagnostic marker for AFP negative patients.

Current Strategies for Engineered Vascular Grafts and Vascularized Tissue Engineering

Blood vessels not only transport oxygen and nutrients to each organ, but also play an important role in the regulation of tissue regeneration. Impaired or occluded vessels can result in ischemia, tissue necrosis, or even life-threatening events. Bioengineered vascular grafts have become a promising alternative treatment for damaged or occlusive vessels. Large-scale tubular grafts, which can match arteries, arterioles, and venules, as well as meso- and microscale vasculature to alleviate ischemia or prevascularized engineered tissues, have been developed. In this review, materials and techniques for engineering tubular scaffolds and vasculature at all levels are discussed. Examples of vascularized tissue engineering in bone, peripheral nerves, and the heart are also provided. Finally, the current challenges are discussed and the perspectives on future developments in biofunctional engineered vessels are delineated.

Liver resection for octogenarians in a French center: prolonged hepatic pedicle occlusion and male sex increase major complications

PURPOSE

The prolonged life expectancy and increase in aging of the population have led surgeons to propose hepatectomy in the elderly population. In this study, we evaluate the surgical outcome of octogenarians in a single French center.

METHODS

Between 2000 and 2020, 78 patients over 80 years old were retrospectively analyzed. The risk factors of major complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥ grade IIIa) and patient performance after surgery by using textbook outcome (TO) (no surgical complications, no prolonged hospital stay (≤ 15 days), no readmission ≤90 days after discharge, and no mortality ≤90 days after surgery) were studied.

RESULTS

The main surgical indication was for malignancy (96%), including mainly colorectal liver metastases (n = 41; 53%) and hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 22; 28%), and major hepatectomy was performed in 28 patients (36%). There were 6 (8%) postoperative mortalities. The most frequent complications were pulmonary (n = 22; 32%), followed by renal insufficiency (n = 22; 28%) and delirium (n = 16; 21%). Major complications occurred in 19 (24%) patients. On multivariate analysis, the main risk factors for major complications were the median vascular clamping time (0 vs 35; P = 0.04) and male sex (P = 0.046). TO was ultimately achieved in 30 patients (38%), and there was no prognostic factor for achievement of TO.

CONCLUSIONS

Hepatectomy in octogenarians is associated with acceptable morbidity and mortality. Meanwhile, prolonged hepatic pedicle clamping should be avoided especially if hepatectomy is planned in a male patient.

When does a Pringle Maneuver cause harm?

BACKGROUND

The Pringle Maneuver (PM) is considered to be safe and effective. However, data regarding perioperative outcomes after a PM are conflicting. Therefore, the aim of this analysis is to compare the outcomes of patients who have and have not undergone a PM in North America.

METHODS

Patients undergoing major (≥3 segments) or partial hepatectomy (≤2 segments) were identified in the 2014-17 ACS-NSQIP hepatectomy database. Patients with and without a PM were compared. Propensity matching was utilized, and subgroup analyses by liver texture, hepatectomy extent and pathology were performed.

RESULTS

Prior to matching, 3706 (24%) of 15,748 hepatectomy patients underwent a PM. The PM was utilized in 1445 (27%) of major and 2261 (22%) of partial hepatectomies. After matching, 3295 patients with and 3295 without a PM were compared. Operative time was significantly increased for patients undergoing a PM (246 vs. 225 min, p < 0.001). Subgroup analyses revealed post-hepatectomy liver failure and septic shock to be significantly increased (both p < 0.05) for patients undergoing a PM during a partial hepatectomy or in patients with metastatic disease.

CONCLUSION

Patients undergoing a partial hepatectomy and those with metastatic disease have worse outcomes when a Pringle Maneuver is performed.

Does vascular occlusion in liver resections predispose to recurrence of malignancy in the liver remnant due to ischemia/reperfusion injury? A comparative retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Severe ischemic changes of the liver remnant after hepatectomy could expedite tumor recurrence on the residual liver. Our study aimed at assessing the effect of warm ischemic/reperfusion (I/R) injuries on surgery-to-local recurrence interval and patient overall survival, during major hepatectomies under inflow and outflow vascular control.

METHODS

One hundred and eighteen patients were subjected to liver resection under total inflow and outflow vascular clamping and were assigned as study group. These individuals were retrospectively matched to 112 counterparts, who underwent liver surgery applying inflow and outflow vascular clamping only of the segment harboring the tumor, sparing the liver remnant from any I/R injury (control group). The two cohorts were compared regarding recurrence-free survival and overall survival.

RESULTS

Reversible I/R injuries of the liver remnant subjected to vascular clamping were manifested, with increase of AST values at postoperative day 2 in the study group, as compared to the control group (603 ± 270 U/L vs. 450 ± 290 U/L, p < 0.001), reversing to normal by day 7. Recurrence-free survival and overall survival were no significantly different between the two groups (log rank statistic p = 0.298 and 0.639, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Reversible I/R injuries of the liver remnant do not seem to be implicated in the precipitation of local malignant recurrence or in shorter long-term survival, in comparison to a technique sparing the residual liver of I/R injury. This retrospective cohort study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov under unique identifying number: NCT04257240.

Intravascular and intraparenchymatous hepatic segmentary sclerosis

PURPOSE

To evaluate the morphological effects of injected sclerosing agents into the liver.

METHODS

This study was performed on twenty dogs, distributed into five groups: Group 1 (n = 5) - control, Group 2 (n = 5) - injection of 50% glucose solution inside hepatic parenchyma and animals followed during seven days, Group 3 (n = 10) - injection of ethanol inside hepatic parenchyma and animals distribution into two subgroups Subgroup 3A (n = 5) - followed during 24 hours and subgroup 3B (n = 5) - followed during seven days (group 3B), Group 4 (n = 5) - ethanol injection inside left portal vein branch and followed during 24 hours. Livers were macroscopically evaluated, submitted to hepatic arteriography and portography, then histology.

RESULTS

All animals in Group 4 died within 23 hours due to diffuse hepatic necrosis. The animals of groups 2 and 3 had a satisfactory evolution. Fibrosis formed in the segment reached by the sclerosant solution and interruption of the contrast flow injected into the portal system.

CONCLUSION

Intrahepatic parenchymal ethanol injection is well tolerated and causes sclerosis restricted to a specific segment; however, intraportal ethanol injection causes massive hepatic necrosis and can lead to death.