Patient selection in an era of donor liver shortage: current US policy

Assessing Thrombocytopenia and Chronic Liver Disease in Southeast Asia: A Multicentric Cross-Sectional Study

Background This multicentric cross-sectional study aimed to examine the prevalence of thrombocytopenia (TCP) and investigate the various causes of chronic liver disease (CLD) across 15 Southeast Asian (India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh) tertiary care centers over a three-month period. The study focused on assessing the fibrosis index (FI) and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD)-sodium (Na) score's capacity to grade and predict the progression and outcomes of patients with already diagnosed CLD. Methods The cross-sectional study enrolled 377 CLD patients. The study utilized admission registries from 15 tertiary care hospitals in Southeast Asia, spanning from April 2023 to June 2023. Various descriptive variables were collected, including gender, tobacco use (specifically, chewed tobacco), underlying etiology, presence of anemia, leukopenia, pancytopenia, infectious state, and liver cirrhosis diagnosed via traditional ultrasonography. This study examined liver failure indicators, including alanine transaminase levels, compensation status, TCP, and liver transplant (LT) listing. The MELD-Na score was the focus of frequency and percentage analysis. MELD-Na and FI medians and standard deviations were provided. Results The study of 377 patients with CLD found that TCP was present in 4% of patients and leukopenia was present in 12% of patients. The risk of TCP was significantly higher in leukopenic patients (89.5%) than in non-leukopenic patients (52.5%) (p = 0.003). The most common CLD cause was undiagnosable (31%), followed by autoimmune (26%), hepatitis C virus (21%), hepatitis B virus (14%), and schistosomiasis (8%). The majority of patients (98%) had decompensated liver disease. Of the patients, 64% had TCP, while 36% did not. The illness severity indicators MELD score and FI had mean ± SD values of 16.89 ± 6.42 and 4.1 ± 1.06, respectively. Similarly, the prevalence of LT needs among traditional ultrasonography-diagnosed cirrhotic patients was 83.1%, compared to 59.6% among non-cirrhotic patients (p = 0.001). Conclusion Leukopenia and TCP may be linked, which may affect CLD treatment and prognosis in this population. Non-invasive indicators like the FI and MELD-Na score can detect liver fibrosis and severity without invasive procedures, enhancing patient management. These findings highlight the need to improve early diagnosis methods for CLD in Southeast Asia and raise awareness among clinicians about effective diagnostic strategies for non-infectious causes of CLD.

Thrombocytopenia (TCP), MELD Score, and Fibrosis Index (FI) Among Hospitalized Patients with Chronic Liver Disease (CLD) in Ma'abar City, Dhamar Governorate, Yemen: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose

This study sought to assess the prevalence of thrombocytopenia (TCP), underlying aetiologies of chronic liver disease, and the grading and prognostic systems for chronic liver disease (CLD) using non-invasive biomarkers: the Fibrosis index and the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease-Na (MELD-Na) Score, respectively.

Patients and Methods

This was a 15-month multi-centric cross-sectional study of 105 patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). The study was conducted using Sept 2019 to Nov 2020 admission records of CLD patients from Ma'abar City in Dhamar Governorate, Yemen.

Results

A total of 63 (60%) and 42 (40%) patients were identified as thrombocytopenic and non-thrombocytopenic, respectively. The means ± SD of the MELD score and FI were 19 ± 7.302 and 4.1 ± 1.06. TCP prevalence among leukopenic and non-leukopenic patients was 89.5% and 53.5%, respectively (P = 0.004). Likewise, the prevalence of traditional-ultrasonography-diagnosed cirrhotic patients needing liver transplantation (LT) was 82.3% versus 61.3% among corresponding non-cirrhotic patients (P = 0.000).

Conclusion

The prevalence of TCP among the participants of this study was similar to the global rate. However, the prevalence of decompensation was much higher among CLD patients than that found elsewhere, highlighting a need to improve methods for the early diagnosis of CLD in Yemen. This study also identified problems with the diagnostic work-up for non-infectious aetiologies of CLD. The findings suggest the need to improve clinician awareness about effective diagnostic strategies for these aetiologies.

Reprogramming the spleen into a functioning 'liver' in vivo

OBJECTIVE

Liver regeneration remains one of the biggest clinical challenges. Here, we aim to transform the spleen into a liver-like organ via directly reprogramming the splenic fibroblasts into hepatocytes in vivo.

DESIGN

In the mouse spleen, the number of fibroblasts was through silica particles (SiO₂) stimulation, the expanded fibroblasts were converted to hepatocytes (iHeps) by lentiviral transfection of three key transcriptional factors (Foxa3, Gata4 and Hnf1a), and the iHeps were further expanded with tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and lentivirus-mediated expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF).

RESULTS

SiO₂ stimulation tripled the number of activated fibroblasts. Foxa3, Gata4 and Hnf1a converted SiO₂-remodelled spleen fibroblasts into 2×10⁶ functional iHeps in one spleen. TNF-α protein and lentivirus-mediated expression of EGF and HGF further enabled the total hepatocytes to expand to 8×10⁶ per spleen. iHeps possessed hepatic functions-such as glycogen storage, lipid accumulation and drug metabolism-and performed fundamental liver functions to improve the survival rate of mice with 90% hepatectomy.

CONCLUSION

Direct conversion of the spleen into a liver-like organ, without cell or tissue transplantation, establishes fundamental hepatic functions in mice, suggesting its potential value for the treatment of end-stage liver diseases.

Worse Outcomes Associated With Liver Transplants: An Increasing Trend

Background and aim Since individuals in the early stages of liver cirrhosis are typically asymptomatic, the prevalence of liver cirrhosis may be underestimated. Liver cirrhosis has a significant morbidity and mortality rate, with 1.03 million deaths worldwide each year. For end-stage liver disease, liver transplantation is a potential therapeutic option. The goal of our research was to examine the current trend in liver transplants using data from a national database. Methods Using the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 codes, we identified individuals who had a liver transplant during the index hospital admission in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2007 to 2011. This national sample of patients is from the United States. We looked at the yearly trend in liver transplants and related outcomes, such as duration of hospitalization (DOH), hospital expenses, and mortality in the hospital. In order to find determinants of mortality, we used a multivariate analysis. Results There were 25,331 patients hospitalized (weighted for national estimate). Between 2007 and 2011, the number of transplants grew by 1.2%. The majority of transplant recipients were Caucasian (57%), with an average age of 54 years, had a private healthcare plan (53%), and had average earnings in the upper quartile by zip code (26%). Patients with a higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (79% had a score of four) were more likely to be admitted to a southern hospital (33%), an academic hospital (>99%), and a large capacity hospital (90%). Seventy percent of liver transplant recipients received cadaver donors. Hepatitis C was the most prevalent reason for transplant (30%), followed by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (29%) and alcoholic liver disease (25%). In 2011, compared to 2007, there was an upward rise in fatality (from 3.8% to 5.1%), average hospital expenditures (from $335,504 to $498,369), and DOH (from 17.4 to 22.7 days). The cost of hospitalization was two billion dollars per year. The independent variables related to an increased mortality on multivariate analysis were African American race (OR: 2.0, 95%, CI: 1.2-3.2; p=0.005) and large capacity hospitals (OR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.6-4.1; p=0.0002). Predictors linked to lower mortality included private healthcare coverage (vs. Medicare: OR: 0.7, 95%, CI: 0.51-0.97; p=0.03), academic hospital (OR: 0.6, 95% CI: 0.4-0.8; p=0.005), cadaver donor (OR: 0.6, 95% CI: 0.5-0.8; p=0.002), HCC (OR: 0.6, 95% CI: 0.4-0.9; p=0.01), and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) cirrhosis (OR: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.9; p=0.02). Conclusion Our study found an increasing trend in worse outcomes (increased mortality, average hospital costs, and average DOH) after a liver transplant. Patients of the African American race and large capacity hospitals were associated with a higher risk of death, whereas private healthcare plans, academic hospitals, cadaver donors, HCC, and NASH cirrhosis were associated with a lower risk.

Basic principles of liver allocation and development over the years

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Prior to the enactment of the National Organ Transplant Act in 1984, there was no organized system to allocate donor organs in the United States. The process of liver allocation has come a long way since then, including the development and implementation of the Model for End-stage Liver Disease, which is an objective estimate of risk of mortality among candidates awaiting liver transplantation.

RECENT FINDINGS

The Liver Transplant Community is constantly working to optimize the distribution and allocation of scare organs, which is essential to promote equitable access to a life-saving procedure in the setting of clinical advances in the treatment of liver disease. Over the past 17 years, many changes have been made. Most recently, liver distribution changed such that deceased donor livers will be distributed based on units established by geographic circles around a donor hospital rather than the current policy, which uses donor service areas as the unit of distribution. In addition, a National Liver Review Board was created to standardize the process of determining liver transplant priority for candidates with exceptional medical conditions. The aim of these changes is to allocate and distribute organs in an efficient and equitable fashion.

SUMMARY

The current review provides a historical perspective of liver allocation and the changing landscape in the United States.

Outcomes of Liver Transplant Candidates with Primary Biliary Cholangitis: The Data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients

BACKGROUND

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is progressive and can cause end-stage liver disease necessitating a liver transplant (LT). PBC patients may be disadvantaged on LT waitlist due to MELD-based priority listing or other factors.

AIM

The aim was to assess waitlist duration, waitlist mortality, and post-LT outcomes of PBC patients.

METHODS

The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients data for 1994-2016 was utilized. Adult patients with PBC without hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were selected. Their clinico-demographic parameters and waitlist and post-transplant outcomes were compared to those of patients with hepatitis C (HCV) without HCC.

RESULTS

Out of 223,391 listings for LT in 1994-2016, 8133 (3.6%) was for PBC without HCC. Mean age was 55.5 years, 76.9% white, 86.2% female, mean MELD score 21, 6.6% retransplants. There were 52,017 patients with hepatitis C included for comparison. The mean waitlist mortality was 17.9% for PBC and 17.6% for HCV (p > 0.05). The average transplantation rate was 57.7% for PBC and 53.3% for HCV (p < 0.0001), while waitlist dropout (death or removal due to deterioration) rate was 25.0% for PBC and 25.4% for HCV (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference in median waiting duration till transplantation between PBC patients and HCV after 2002 (103 vs. 95 days, p > 0.05). Post-LT mortality and graft loss rates were significantly lower in PBC than in HCV patients (all p < 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite no evidence of impaired waitlist outcomes and favorable post-transplant survival in patients with PBC, there is still a high waitlist dropout rate suggesting the presence of an unmet need for effective treatment.

Prioritization for liver transplantation using the MELD score in Chile: Inequities generated by MELD exceptions.: A collaboration between the Chilean Liver Transplant Programs, the Public Health Institute and the National Transplant Coordinator

INTRODUCTION AND AIM

The MELD score has been established as an efficient and rigorous prioritization system for liver transplant (LT). Our study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the MELD score as a system for prioritization for LT, in terms of decreasing the dropout rate in the waiting list and maintaining an adequate survival post-LT in Chile.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We analyzed the Chilean Public Health Institute liver transplant registry of candidates listed from October 15th 2011 to December 31st 2014. We included adult candidates (>15 years old) listed for elective cadaveric LT with a MELD score of 15 or higher. Statistical analysis included survival curves (Kaplan-Meier), log-rank statistics and multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

420 candidates were analyzed. Mean age was 53.6±11.8 years, and 244 were men (58%). Causes of LT included: Liver cirrhosis without exceptions (HC) 177 (66.4%); hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) 111 (26.4%); cirrhosis with non-HCC exceptions 102 (24.3%) and non-cirrhotic candidates 30 (7.2%). LT rate was 43.2%. The dropout rate was 37.6% at 1-year. Even though the LT rate was higher, the annual dropout rate was significantly higher in cirrhotic candidates (without exceptions) compared with cirrhotics with HCC, and non-HCC exceptions plus non-cirrhotic candidates (47.9%; 37.2% and 24.2%, respectively, with p=0.004). Post-LT survival was 84% per year, with no significant differences between the three groups (p=0.95).

CONCLUSION

Prioritization for LT using the MELD score system has not decreased the dropout rate in Chile (persistent low donor's rate). Exceptions generate inequities in dropout rate, disadvantaging patients without exceptions.

Predictive Value of Models for End-Stage Liver Disease Score in Patients With Pulsatile Flow POLVAD MEV Left Ventricular Assist Device Support

BACKGROUND

Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score predicts multisystem dysfunction and death in patients with heart failure (HF). Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have been used for the treatment of end-stage HF.

AIM OF THE STUDY

We evaluated the prognostic values of MELD, MELD-XI, and MELD-Na scores in patients with POLVAD MEV LVAD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed data of 25 consecutive pulsatile flow POLVAD MEV LVAD patients (22 men and 3 women) divided in 2 groups: Group S (survivors), 20 patients (18 men and 2 women), and Group NS (nonsurvivors), 5 patients (4 men and 1 woman). Patients were qualified in INTERMACS class 1 (7 patients) and class 2 (18 patients). Clinical data and laboratory parameters for MELD, MELD-XI, and MELD-Na score calculation were obtained on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3. Study endpoints were mortality or 30 days survival. MELD scores and complications were compared between Groups S and NS.

RESULTS

20 patients survived, and 5 (4 men and 1 woman) died during observation. Demographics did not differ. MELD scores were insignificantly higher in patients who died (Group 2). Values were as follows: 1. MELD preoperatively (21.71 vs 15.28, P = .225) in day 1 (22.03 vs 17.14, P = .126), day 2 (20.52 vs 17.03, P = .296); 2. MELD-XI preoperatively (19.28 vs 16.39, P = .48), day 1 (21.55 vs 18.14, P = .2662), day 2 (20.45 vs 17.2, P = .461); and 3. MELD-Na preoperatively (20.78 vs 18.7, P = .46), day 1 23.68 vs 18.12, P = .083), day 2 (22.00 vs 19.19, P = .295) consecutively.

CONCLUSIONS

The MELD scores do not identify patients with pulsatile LVAD at high risk for mortality in our series. Further investigation is needed.

Predicting Outcomes on the Liver Transplant Waiting List in the United States: Accounting for Large Regional Variation in Organ Availability and Priority Allocation Points

BACKGROUND

The probability of liver transplant and death on the waiting list in the United States varies greatly by donation service area (DSA) due to geographic differences in availability of organs and allocation of priority points, making it difficult for providers to predict likely outcomes after listing. We aimed to develop an online calculator to report outcomes by region and patient characteristics.

METHODS

Using the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients database, we included all prevalent US adults aged 18 years or older waitlisted for liver transplant, examined on 24 days at least 30 days apart over a 2-year period. Outcomes were determined at intervals of 30 to 365 days. Outcomes are reported by transplant program, DSA, region, and the nation for comparison, and can be shown by allocation or by laboratory model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score (6-14, 15-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-40), age, and blood type.

RESULTS

Outcomes varied greatly by DSA; for candidates with allocation MELD 25-29, the 25th and 75th percentiles of liver transplant probability were 30% and 67%, respectively, at 90 days. Corresponding percentiles for death or becoming too sick to undergo transplant were 5% and 9%. Outcomes also varied greatly for candidates with and without MELD exception points.

CONCLUSIONS

The waitlist outcome calculator highlights ongoing disparities in access to liver transplant and may assist providers in understanding and counseling their patients about likely outcomes on the waiting list.

When a liver transplant recipient goes back to alcohol abuse: Should we be more selective?

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is one of the most common indications for liver transplantation (LT). However, it has always remained as a complicated topic from both medical and ethical grounds, as it is seen for many a "self-inflicted disease". Over the years, the survival rate of transplanted patients has significantly improved. The allocation system and the inclusion criteria for LT has also undergone some modifications. Early LT for acute alcoholic hepatitis has been subject to recent clinical studies with encouraging results in highly selected patients. We have learned from studies the importance of a multidisciplinary evaluation of candidates for LT. Complete abstinence should be attempted to overcome addiction issues and to allow spontaneous liver recovery. Risk factors for relapse include the presence of anxiety or depressive disorder, short duration of sobriety pre-LT and lack of social support. The identification of risk factors and the strengthen of social support system may decrease relapse among these patients. Family counseling of candidates is highly encouraged to prevent relapse to alcohol. Relapse has been associated with different histopathological changes, graft damage, graft loss and even decrease in survival among some studies. Therefore, each patient should be carefully selected and priority is to continue to lean on patients with high probability of success. The ethical issue remains as to the patient returning to drinking after the LT, hindering the way for other patients who could have received the same organ.

Decade-Long Trends in Liver Transplant Waitlist Removal Due to Illness Severity: The Impact of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Policy

BACKGROUND

The central tenet of liver transplant organ allocation is to prioritize the sickest patients first. However, a 2007 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regulatory policy, Conditions of Participation (COP), which mandates publically reported transplant center performance assessment and outcomes-based auditing, critically altered waitlist management and clinical decision making. We examine the extent to which COP implementation is associated with increased removal of the "sickest" patients from the liver transplant waitlist.

STUDY DESIGN

This study included 90,765 adult (aged 18 years and older) deceased donor liver transplant candidates listed at 102 transplant centers from April 2002 through December 2012 (Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients). We quantified the effect of COP implementation on trends in waitlist removal due to illness severity and 1-year post-transplant mortality using interrupted time series segmented Poisson regression analysis.

RESULTS

We observed increasing trends in delisting due to illness severity in the setting of comparable demographic and clinical characteristics. Delisting abruptly increased by 16% at the time of COP implementation, and likelihood of being delisted continued to increase by 3% per quarter thereafter, without attenuation (p < 0.001). Results remained consistent after stratifying on key variables (ie, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease and age). The COP did not significantly impact 1-year post-transplant mortality (p = 0.38).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the 2007 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services COP policy was a quality initiative designed to improve patient outcomes, in reality, it failed to show beneficial effects in the liver transplant population. Patients who could potentially benefit from transplantation are increasingly being denied this lifesaving procedure while transplant mortality rates remain unaffected. Policy makers and clinicians should strive to balance candidate and recipient needs from a population-benefit perspective when designing performance metrics and during clinical decision making for patients on the waitlist.

Comparison of improved prognosis between hepatitis B- and hepatitis C-related hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM

Treatment strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been advanced. The aim of this study was to compare the change of the prognosis between hepatitis B-related HCC (B-HCC) and hepatitis C-related HCC (C-HCC) in the last two decades.

METHODS

We enrolled 166 B-HCC patients who underwent percutaneous ablation between 1990 and 2009. Patients were divided into three groups according to the treatment time period: 1990-1995 (cohort 1, n = 19), 1996-2002 (cohort 2, n = 49) and 2003-2009 (cohort 3, n = 98). We enrolled 1219 C-HCC patients who underwent percutaneous ablation during the same period (n = 190, 413 and 616, respectively.). Interferon and nucleoside/nucleotide analog use was investigated. Prognosis was evaluated for each cohort using the Kaplan-Meier method and a multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model.

RESULTS

Two (11%), 24 (49%) and 80 (82%) B-HCC patients received nucleoside/nucleotide analogs during the follow-up period in cohorts 1-3, respectively. Among them 1, 18 and 62 patients achieved viral remission, respectively. Thirty-four (18%), 35 (8%) and 84 (14%) C-HCC patients received interferon therapy, respectively. The 5-year B-HCC (P < 0.001) survival rates were 52.6%, 61.1% and 81.6% for cohorts 1-3, respectively. However, the survival rates were 55.6%, 58.8% and 61.1% for C-HCC (P = 0.12), respectively. The B-HCC prognosis improved dramatically (P < 0.001) over time, whereas the prognosis of C-HCC improved moderately (P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The prognosis of B-HCC has improved dramatically over time, whereas that of C-HCC has improved moderately.

The outcomes of adult liver transplants in the United States from 1987 to 2013

BACKGROUND & AIMS

In the past three decades, there have been major advances in the procedure and candidate selection for liver transplantation. The aim of this study was to assess the changes in outcomes of liver transplantations in the Unites States.

METHODS

This observational study uses the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) that includes all liver transplants from 1987 to 2013 (N = 108 707 adults).

RESULTS

Four study cycles were introduced: 1987-1993, 1994-2000, 2001-2006, 2007-2013. The length of inpatient stay for receiving liver transplant substantially shortened (42-20 days), and so did the rate of acute post-transplant rejections (33-4%). The use of high risk donors and donors with chronic diseases increased significantly. Of transplant outcomes, despite recently reported unfavourable changes in clinico-demographic profile of liver transplant recipients (older age, substantial increases in all major comorbidities), the proportion of patients discharged alive increased from 78.2 to 91.8%. On the other hand, post-discharge 1-, 3- and 5-year mortality varied between 6.7 and 8.0%, 15.2 to 17.2% and 22.5 to 24.5%, respectively, and no consistent trend was found. Despite this, the rates of graft failure decreased: an approximately two-fold decrease in 1 year graft loss, and a 1.6-fold decrease in 5 year graft loss were observed.

CONCLUSION

Despite all improvements in liver transplant technique and patient management, the changes in post-transplant outcomes vary. While inpatient mortality, graft losses and post-transplant infect-ion rates improved substantially, post-discharge mortality remains stable because of increasing losses to competing risks in patients with non-liver comorbidities.

Strategies to improve outcome of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma receiving a liver transplantation

Liver transplantation is the only therapeutic option which allows to treat both, the hepatocellular carcinoma and the underlying liver disease. Indeed, liver transplantation is considered the standard of care for a subset of patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, tumour recurrence rates are as high as 20%, and once the recurrence is established the therapeutic options are scarce and with little impact on prognosis. Strategies to minimize tumour recurrence and thus to improve outcome may be classified into 3 groups: (1) An adequate selection of candidates for liver transplantation by using the Milan criteria; (2) An optimized management within waiting list including prioritization of patients at high risk of tumour progression, and the implementation of bridging therapies, particularly when the expected length within the waiting list is longer than 6 mo; and (3) Tailored immunosuppression comprising reduced exposure to calcineurin inhibitors, particularly early after liver transplantation, and the addition of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors. In the present manuscript the available scientific evidence supporting these strategies is comprehensively reviewed, and future directions are provided for novel research approaches, which may contribute to the final target: to cure more patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and with an improved long term outcome.

Female gender in the setting of liver transplantation

The evolution of liver diseases to end-stage liver disease or to acute hepatic failure, the evaluation process for liver transplantation, the organ allocation decision-making, as well as the post-transplant outcomes are different between female and male genders. Women’s access to liver transplantation is hampered by the use of model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, in which creatinine values exert a systematic bias against women due to their lower values even in the presence of variable degrees of renal dysfunction. Furthermore, even when correcting MELD score for gender-appropriate creatinine determination, a quantifiable uneven access to transplant prevails, demonstrating that other factors are also involved. While some of the differences can be explained from the epidemiological point of view, hormonal status plays an important role. Moreover, the pre-menopausal and post-menopausal stages imply profound differences in a woman’s physiology, including not only the passage from the fertile age to the non-fertile stage, but also the loss of estrogens and their potentially protective role in delaying liver fibrosis progression, amongst others. With menopause, the tendency to gain weight may contribute to the development of or worsening of pre-existing metabolic syndrome. As an increasing number of patients are transplanted for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and as the average age at transplant increases, clinicians must be prepared for the management of this particular condition, especially in post-menopausal women, who are at particular risk of developing metabolic complications after menopause.

Glomerular filtration rate is an independent factor of mortality in patients with decompensated cirrhosis

AIM

Although serum creatinine is included in the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, it is an inaccurate marker of renal function, namely, of glomerular filtration rate ("true" GFR) in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Our aim was to investigate the impact of MELD score and "true" GFR as determinants of survival in patients with decompensated cirrhosis.

METHODS

We included all consecutive patients with decompensated cirrhosis who were admitted to our department. Renal function was assessed by creatinine- and cystatin-based estimated GFR and "true" GFR using (51) Cr-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. The independent factors associated with survival were evaluated. The discriminative ability of the prognostic scores (MELD and modifications of MELD score) were evaluated by using the area under the receiver-operator curve (AUC).

RESULTS

One hundred and ten consecutive patients (77 men, aged 56 ± 12 years); at the end of follow up (8 months; range, 6-18), 92 patients (84%) were alive and 18 (16%) had died. In multivariate analysis, serum bilirubin (hazard ratio [HR], 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05-1.26; P = 0.020) and "true" GFR (HR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.93-0.98; P = 0.003) were the only independent factors significantly associated with the outcome. The derived new prognostic model had high discriminative ability (AUC, 0.90), which was confirmed in the validation sample of 77 patients.

CONCLUSION

In our cohort of patients with decompensated cirrhosis, "true" GFR and bilirubin were the independent factors of the outcome.

The impact of type 2 diabetes and obesity on the long-term outcomes of more than 85 000 liver transplant recipients in the US

BACKGROUND

Type 2 diabetes is known to negatively impact the outcome of chronic liver disease.

AIM

To evaluate the impact of diabetes on the outcomes of liver transplants (LT).

METHODS

Study cohort included adults (>18 years) who received LT in the US between 1994 and 2013 (The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients). Pre- and post-transplant diabetes was recorded in patients with mortality follow-up.

RESULTS

We included 85 194 liver transplant recipients. Of those, 11.2% had history of pre-transplant diabetes. The most common indications for liver transplant were hepatitis C (36.4%), alcohol-related liver disease (20.6%), primary liver malignancy of unspecified aetiology (14.7%), cryptogenic cirrhosis (8.0%), hepatitis B (4.6%) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (3.9%). A total of 96.5% transplants were from deceased donors, and 7.9% donors had history of diabetes. During an average 6.5 years of follow-up, 31.3% recipients died and 8.8% had a graft failure. In multivariate survival analysis [at least 5 years of cohort follow-up (N = 35 870)], after adjustment for age, ethnicity, insurance type, history of chronic diseases, HCV infection and noncompliance, independent predictors of recipient mortality included the presence of pre-transplant diabetes [adjusted hazard ratio (95%CI) = 1.21 (1.12-1.30)] and developing diabetes post-transplant [1.06 (1.02-1.11)]. Donor's history of diabetes was also independently associated with higher mortality [1.10 (1.02-1.19)]. Furthermore, donor's history of diabetes was also associated with an increased the risk of liver graft failure [1.35 (1.24-1.47)].

CONCLUSIONS

Presence of type 2 diabetes pre- and post-transplant, as well as presence of type 2 diabetes in the donors, are all associated with an increased risk of adverse post-transplant outcomes.

Time to transplantation as a predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after liver transplantation

In the United States, there are significant geographic disparities in the time to transplantation for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); it is possible that rapid transplantation contributes to higher rates of posttransplant HCC recurrence because there is insufficient time for the tumor biology to manifest. In this study, we compared HCC recurrence in rapid transplant patients and their slower transplant counterparts. We identified adult liver transplantation (LT) candidates in the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) data set who were granted an initial exception for an HCC diagnosis between January 1, 2006 and September 30, 2010 and underwent transplantation in the same time window. Patients were followed until HCC recurrence, non-HCC-related death, or last follow-up. The cumulative incidence of HCC recurrence was compared for patients waiting ≤ 120 days and patients waiting >120 days from an HCC exception to LT. The association between the risk of posttransplant recurrence and the wait time was further evaluated via competing risks regression with the Fine and Gray model. For 5002 LT recipients with HCC, the median wait time from an exception to LT was 77 days, and it varied from 30 to 169 days by UNOS region. The cumulative incidence of posttransplant HCC recurrence was 3.3% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.8%-3.8%] and 5.6% (95% CI = 5.0%-6.3%) within 1 and 2 years, respectively. The rate of observed recurrence within 1 year of transplantation was significantly lower for patients waiting >120 days versus patients waiting ≤ 120 days (2.2% versus 3.9%, P = 0.002); however, the difference did not persist at 2 years (5.0% versus 5.9%, P = 0.09). After we accounted for clinical factors, the HCC recurrence risk was reduced by 40% for patients waiting >120 days (subhazard ratio = 0.6, P = 0.005). In conclusion, the risk of HCC recurrence within the first year after transplantation may be lessened by the institution of a mandatory waiting time after an exception is granted.

Evolving trends in liver transplantation: listing and liver donor allocation

The success of liver transplantation in the past three decades as a life-saving procedure for patients with end-stage liver disease has led to the ever-increasing disparity between the demands for liver transplantation and the supply of donor liver organs. Donor allocation and distribution remains a challenge and a moral issue as to how these organs can be equitably distributed. This article reviews the evolution of the liver allocation policy and discusses in detail the challenges clinicians face today in this area of medicine.

The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) can predict outcomes in ambulatory patients with advanced heart failure who have been referred for cardiac transplantation evaluation

Risk stratification in heart failure (HF) patients is an important element for management. There are several risk stratification models that can be used to predict the prognosis of patients with HF, such as Aaronson's scale, CVM-HF (CardioVascular Medicine Heart Failure), the Seattle Heart Failure Model (SHFM) and the Munich score. These models fail to adequately address the impact of multiorgan dysfunction on prognosis. The classical Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score consists of: total bilirubin, INR (international normalized ratio) and creatinine level. There are some modifications of the MELD scale: MELD-XI, which excludes the INR score; the mod-MELD score, in which INR is replaced with albumin levels; and MELD-Na, which consists of the bilirubin and creatinine levels, INR ratio and the sodium level. Therefore, the MELD score systems are markers of multisystem dysfunction (renal, cardiac, hepatic). It is important that they are composed of routinely collected laboratory measures which are easy to use.

Serum microRNA-122 predicts survival in patients with liver cirrhosis

Background

Liver cirrhosis is associated with high morbidity and mortality. MicroRNAs (miRs) circulating in the blood are an emerging new class of biomarkers. In particular, the serum level of the liver-specific miR-122 might be a clinically useful new parameter in patients with acute or chronic liver disease.

Aim

Here we investigated if the serum level of miR-122 might be a prognostic parameter in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Methods

107 patients with liver cirrhosis in the test cohort and 143 patients in the validation cohort were prospectively enrolled into the present study. RNA was extracted from the sera obtained at the time of study enrollment and the level of miR-122 was assessed. Serum miR-122 levels were assessed by quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and were compared to overall survival time and to different complications of liver cirrhosis.

Results

Serum miR-122 levels were reduced in patients with hepatic decompensation in comparison to patients with compensated liver disease. Patients with ascites, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and hepatorenal syndrome had significantly lower miR-122 levels than patients without these complications. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that the miR-122 serum levels were associated with survival independently from the MELD score, sex and age.

Conclusions

Serum miR-122 is a new independent marker for prediction of survival of patients with liver cirrhosis.

Life-sustaining treatment decisions in the ICU for patients with ESLD: a prospective investigation

We conducted a prospective study in the ICU of life-sustaining treatment and comfort care decisions over time in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) from the perspectives of patients, family members, and healthcare professionals. Six patients with ESLD, 19 family members, and 122 professionals participated. The overarching theme describing the decision-making process was "on the train." Four sub-themes positioned patients and family members as passengers with limited control, unable to fully understand the decision-making process. Findings suggest that including patients and family members in non-immediate life-saving decisions and verifying early on their understanding may help to improve the decision-making process.

Liver transplantation in septuagenarians receiving model for end-stage liver disease exception points for hepatocellular carcinoma: the national experience

Current liver allocation policy in the United States grants liver transplant candidates with stage T2 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) a priority Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score of 22, regardless of age. Because advanced age may portend an increase in all-cause mortality after transplantation for any diagnosis, the aim of this study was to examine overall posttransplant survival in elderly patients with HCC versus younger cohorts. Based on Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network data, Kaplan-Meier 5-year survival rates were compared. Recipients undergoing primary liver transplantation were stratified into cohorts based on age (<70 or ≥ 70 years) and the receipt of MELD exception points for HCC. Log-rank and Wilcoxon tests were used for statistical comparisons. In 2009, 143 transplants were performed for patients who were 70 years old or older. Forty-two percent of these patients received a MELD exception for HCC. Regardless of the diagnosis, the overall survival rate was significantly attenuated for the septuagenarians versus the younger cohort. After 5 years of follow-up, this disparity exceeded 10% to 15% depending on the populations being compared. The 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year actuarial survival rates were 88.4%, 83.2%, 79.6%, 76.1%, and 72.7%, respectively, for the patients who were younger than 70 years and 81.1%, 73.8%, 67.1%, 61.9%, and 55.2%, respectively, for the patients who were 70 years old or older. Five-year survival was negatively affected for patients with HCC who were younger than 70 years; this disparity was not observed for patients with HCC who were 70 years old or older. In conclusion, although patients who are 70 years old or older compose a small fraction of transplant recipients in the United States, patients in this group undergoing transplantation for HCC form an even smaller subset. Overall, transplantation in this age group yields outcomes inferior to those for younger cohorts. However, unlike patients who are less than 70 years old and receive MELD exception points, overall liver transplant survival is not affected by HCC at an advanced age.

Pretransplant prediction of posttransplant survival for liver recipients with benign end-stage liver diseases: a nonlinear model

Background

The scarcity of grafts available necessitates a system that considers expected posttransplant survival, in addition to pretransplant mortality as estimated by the MELD. So far, however, conventional linear techniques have failed to achieve sufficient accuracy in posttransplant outcome prediction. In this study, we aim to develop a pretransplant predictive model for liver recipients' survival with benign end-stage liver diseases (BESLD) by a nonlinear method based on pretransplant characteristics, and compare its performance with a BESLD-specific prognostic model (MELD) and a general-illness severity model (the sequential organ failure assessment score, or SOFA score).

Methodology/Principal Findings

With retrospectively collected data on 360 recipients receiving deceased-donor transplantation for BESLD between February 1999 and August 2009 in the west China hospital of Sichuan university, we developed a multi-layer perceptron (MLP) network to predict one-year and two-year survival probability after transplantation. The performances of the MLP, SOFA, and MELD were assessed by measuring both calibration ability and discriminative power, with Hosmer-Lemeshow test and receiver operating characteristic analysis, respectively. By the forward stepwise selection, donor age and BMI; serum concentration of HB, Crea, ALB, TB, ALT, INR, Na⁺; presence of pretransplant diabetes; dialysis prior to transplantation, and microbiologically proven sepsis were identified to be the optimal input features. The MLP, employing 18 input neurons and 12 hidden neurons, yielded high predictive accuracy, with c-statistic of 0.91 (P<0.001) in one-year and 0.88 (P<0.001) in two-year prediction. The performances of SOFA and MELD were fairly poor in prognostic assessment, with c-statistics of 0.70 and 0.66, respectively, in one-year prediction, and 0.67 and 0.65 in two-year prediction.

Conclusions/Significance

The posttransplant prognosis is a multidimensional nonlinear problem, and the MLP can achieve significantly high accuracy than SOFA and MELD scores in posttransplant survival prediction. The pattern recognition methodologies like MLP hold promise for solving posttransplant outcome prediction.

Liver transplantation using fatty livers: always feasible?

Steatotic liver grafts represent the most common type of "extended criteria" organs that have been introduced during the last two decades due to the disparity between liver transplant candidates and the number available organs. A precise definition and reliable and reproducible method for steatosis quantification is currently lacking and the potential influence of the chemical composition of hepatic lipids has not been addressed. In our view, these shortcomings appear to contribute significantly to the inconsistent results of studies reporting on graft steatosis and the outcome of liver transplantation. In this review, various definitions, prevalence and methods of quantification of liver steatosis will be covered. Ischemia/reperfusion injury of the steatotic liver and its consequences on post-transplant outcome will be discussed. Selection criteria for organ allocation and a number of emerging protective strategies are suggested.

Impact of MELD allocation policy on survival outcomes after liver transplantation: a single-center study in northeast Brazil

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the impact of model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) allocation policy on survival outcomes after liver transplantation (LT).

INTRODUCTION

Considering that an ideal system of grafts allocation should also ensure improved survival after transplantation, changes in allocation policies need to be evaluated in different contexts as an evolutionary process.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was carried out among patients who underwent LT at the University of Pernambuco. Two groups of patients transplanted before and after the MELD allocation policy implementation were identified and compared using early postoperative mortality and post-LT survival as end-points.

RESULTS

Overall, early postoperative mortality did not significantly differ between cohorts (16.43% vs. 8.14%; p = 0.112). Although at 6 and 36-months the difference between pre-vs. post-MELD survival was only marginally significant (p = 0.066 and p = 0.063; respectively), better short, medium and long-term post-LT survival were observed in the post-MELD period. Subgroups analysis showed special benefits to patients categorized as nonhepatocellular carcinoma (non-HCC) and moderate risk, as determined by MELD score (15-20).

DISCUSSION

This study ensured a more robust estimate of how the MELD policy affected post-LT survival outcomes in Brazil and was the first to show significantly better survival after this new policy was implemented. Additionally, we explored some potential reasons for our divergent survival outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Better survival outcomes were observed in this study after implementation of the MELD criterion, particularly amongst patients categorized as non-HCC and moderate risk by MELD scoring. Governmental involvement in organ transplantation was possibly the main reason for improved survival.

Prioritization for liver transplantation

There are three possible policies for prioritization for liver transplantation: medical urgency, utility and transplant benefit. The first is based on the severity of cirrhosis, using Child-Turcotte-Pugh score and, more recently, the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, or variants of MELD, for allocation. Although prospectively developed and validated, the MELD score has several limitations, including interlaboratory variations for measurement of serum creatinine and international normalized ratio of prothrombin time, and a systematic adverse female gender bias. Adjustments to the original MELD equation and new scoring systems have been proposed to overcome these limitations; incorporation of serum sodium improves its predictive accuracy. The MELD score poorly predicts outcomes after liver transplantation due to the absence of donor factors incorporated into the scoring system. Several utility models are based on donor and recipient characteristics. Combined poor recipient and donor characteristics lead to very poor outcomes, which in a utility system would be considered unacceptable. Finally, transplant benefit models rank patients according to the net survival benefit that they would derive from transplantation. However, complex statistical models are required, and unmeasured characteristics may unduly affect the models. Well-designed prospective studies and simulation models are necessary to establish the optimal allocation system in liver transplantation.

Rescue policy for discarded liver grafts: a single-centre experience of transplanting livers 'that nobody wants'

BACKGROUND

There is a worldwide need to expand the donor liver pool. We report a consecutive series of elective candidates for liver transplantation (LT) who received 'livers that nobody wants' (LNWs) in Argentina.

METHODS

Between 2006 and 2009, outcomes for patients who received LNWs were analysed and compared with outcomes for a control group. To be defined as an LNW, an organ is required to fulfil two criteria. Firstly, each liver must be officially offered and refused more than 30 times; secondly, the liver must be refused by at least 50% of the LT programmes in our country before our programme can accept it. Principal endpoints were primary graft non-function (PNF), mortality, and graft and patient survival.

RESULTS

We transplanted 26 LNWs that had been discarded by a median of 12 centres. A total of 2666 reasons for refusal had been registered. These included poor donor status (n= 1980), followed by LT centre (n= 398) or recipient (n= 288) conditions. Incidences of PNF (3.8% vs. 4.0%), in-hospital mortality (3.8% vs. 8.0%), 1-year patient (84% vs. 84%) and graft (84% vs. 80%) survival were equal in the LNW and control groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Transplantable livers are unnecessarily discarded by the transplant community. External and internal supervision of the activity of each LT programme is urgently needed to guarantee high standards of excellence.

Model for end-stage liver disease exceptions committee activity in Argentina: does it provide justice and equity among adult patients waiting for a liver transplant?

BACKGROUND

In 2005, the model of end-stage liver disease (MELD)-based allocation system was adopted to assess potential liver transplant (LT) recipients in Argentina. The aim of the present study was to revise the activity of the MELD Exception Experts Committee.

METHODS

Between 2005 and 2009, 1623 patients were listed for LT. Regulation provides extra-MELD points for amyloidosis, hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) and T(2) hepatocellular carcinoma (T(2) HCC). Centres could also request priority for other situations. Using a prospective database, we identified patients in whom priority points were requested. Pathology reports of explanted livers were analysed for patients with T(2) HCC.

RESULTS

From 234 out of 1623 (14.4%) requests, the overall approval rate was 60.2% including: 2 amyloidosis, 6 HPS, 111 T(2) HCC and 22 non-regulated situations. Of the 111 patients with T(2) HCC, 6 died (5.4%), 8 had tumour progression (7.2%), 94 were transplanted (84.2%) and 3 are still waiting. An explants correlation showed that presumed diagnosis of T(2) HCC was incorrect in 20/94 (22%) and was correct in only 41/94 (43%) cases being T(1) HCC in 9 and T(3) HCC in 23.

CONCLUSIONS

MELD exceptions are frequently requested in Argentina. Unfortunately, most receiving priority points for T(2) HCC benefited by medical error or imaging limitations. An intense review process is urgently needed to maintain equity and justice in the allocation system.

Model for end-stage liver disease-based allocation system for liver transplantation in Argentina: does it work outside the United States?

BACKGROUND

In July 2005, Argentina was the first country after the United States to adopt the MELD system. The purpose of the present study was to analyse the impact of this new system on the adult liver waiting list (WL).

METHODS

Between 2005 and 2009, 1773 adult patients were listed for liver transplantation: 150 emergencies and 1623 electives. Elective patients were categorized using the MELD system. A prospective database was used to analyse mortality and probability to be transplanted (PTBT) on the WL.

RESULTS

The waiting time increased inversely with the MELD score and PTBT positively correlated with MELD score. With scores >/= 18 the PTBT remained over 50%. However, the largest MELD subgroup with <10 points (n = 433) had the lower PTBT (3%). In contrast, patients with T(2) hepatocellular carcinoma benefited excessively with the highest PTBT (84.2%) and the lowest mortality rate (5.4%). The WL mortality increased after MELD adoption (10% vs. 14.8% vs. P < 0.01). Patients with <10 MELD points had >fourfold probability of dying on the WL than PTBT (14.3% vs. 3%; P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

After MELD implementation, WL mortality increased and most patients who died had a low MELD score. A comprehensive revision of the MELD system must be performed to include cultural and socio-economical variables that could affect each country individually.

The relationship between inhalational anesthetic requirements and the severity of liver disease in liver transplant recipients according to three phases of liver transplantation

PURPOSE

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) patients are known to show decreased intraoperative anesthetic requirements compared with patients undergoing other liver surgeries. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between inhalational anesthetic requirements and the severity of liver disease among OLT patients.

METHODS

Fifty patients undergoing first living donor OLT were divided into 2 groups: model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score<20 (low-MELD group; n=25) versus, MELD score>or=20 (high-MELD group; n=25). Anesthesia was maintained with desflurane and inspired concentration was titrated to maintain the bispectral index between 40 and 50. Neither intraoperative opioid nor epidural or intrathecal analgesia was used. End-tidal desflurane concentration (ETdes) was measured every 5 minutes and averaged in 30-minute intervals. These values were divided into 3 phases: preanhepatic (P 0.5 hour, P 1 hour, and P 1.5 hours), anhepatic (A 0.5 hour, A 1 hour, A 1.5 hours, and A 2 hours), and postreperfusion (R 0.5 hour, R 1 hour, R 1.5 hours, R 2 hours, R 2.5 hours, and R 3 hours). Results were compared between the 2 groups.

RESULTS

The demographic and intraoperative data were similar between the 2 groups. ETdes to maintain comparable anesthetic depth was significantly lower during the preanhepatic and anhepatic phases in the high-MELD than the low-MELD group, but there was no significant difference during the postreperfusion period.

CONCLUSIONS

OLT patients with high MELD scores showed less inhalational anesthetic requirements during the preanhepatic and the anhepatic periods than those with low MELD scores.

Limitations of the MELD score in predicting mortality or need for removal from waiting list in patients awaiting liver transplantation

Background

Decompensated cirrhosis is associated with a poor prognosis and liver transplantation provides the only curative treatment option with excellent long-term results. The relative shortage of organ donors renders the allocation algorithms of organs essential. The optimal strategy based on scoring systems and/or waiting time is still under debate.

Methods

Data sets of 268 consecutive patients listed for single-organ liver transplantation for nonfulminant liver disease between 2003 and 2005 were included into the study. The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) and Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) scores of all patients at the time of listing were used for calculation. The predictive ability not only for mortality on the waiting list but also for the need for withdrawal from the waiting list was calculated for both scores. The Mann-Whitney-U Test was used for the univariate analysis and the AUC-Model for discrimination of the scores.

Results

In the univariate analysis comparing patients who are still on the waiting list and patients who died or were removed from the waiting list due to poor conditions, the serum albumin, bilirubin INR, and CTP and MELD scores as well as the presence of ascites and encephalopathy were significantly different between the groups (p < 0.05), whereas serum creatinine and urea showed no difference.

Comparing the predictive abilities of CTP and MELD scores, the best discrimination between patients still alive on the waiting list and patients who died on or were removed from the waiting list was achieved at a CTP score of ≥9 and a MELD score of ≥14.4. The sensitivity and specificity to identify mortality or severe deterioration for CTP was 69.0% and 70.5%, respectively; for MELD, it was 62.1% and 72.7%, respectively. This result was supported by the AUC analysis showing a strong trend for superiority of CTP over MELD scores (AUROC 0.73 and 0.68, resp.; p = 0.091).

Conclusion

The long term prediction of mortality or removal from waiting list in patients awaiting liver transplantation might be better assessed by the CTP score than the MELD score. This might have implications for the development of new improved scoring systems.

Liver transplantation: from Child to MELD

The widespread availability of transplantation in most major medical centers in the United States, together with a growing number of transplant candidates, has made it necessary for primary care providers, especially internal medicine and family practice physicians to be active in the clinical care of these patients before and after transplantation. This review provides an overview of the liver transplantation process, including indications, contraindications, time of referral to a transplant center, the current organ allocation system, and briefly touches on the expanding field of living donor liver transplantation.

Impact of tips preliver transplantation for the outcome posttransplantation

The effects of transjugular intrahepatic portocaval shunt (TIPS) on the survival of grafts and patients after liver transplantation (LTx) have only been documented in small series and with only a comparative description with non-TIPS recipients. We evaluated 61 TIPS patients who had a subsequent LTx and compared these with 591 patients transplanted with cirrhosis without TIPS. Pretransplant characteristics were similar between groups. Graft survival at 1, 3 and 5 years post-LTx was 85.2%, 77% and 72.1% (TIPS) and 75.3%, 69.8% and 66.1% (controls). Patient survival at the same points was 91.7%, 85% and 81.7%, respectively (TIPS) and 85.4%, 80.3% and 76.2% (controls). Cox regression showed the absence of TIPS pre-LTx, transfusion of >5 units of blood during LTx, intensive care unit (ICU) stay post-LTx >3 days and earlier period of transplant to be significantly associated with a worse patient and graft survival at 1 year. Migration of the TIPS stent occurred in 28% of cases, increasing the time on bypass during LTx, but was not related to graft or patient survival. TIPS may improve portal supply to the graft and reduce collateral flow, improving function. This may account for the improved adjusted graft and patient survival by Cox regression at 12 months. Long-term survival was not affected.

Impact of impaired aerobic capacity on liver transplant candidates

BACKGROUND

Oxygen consumption at peak exercise (peak VO2) is the most accurate index of aerobic capacity (AC), which reflects the physical condition of an individual and is currently considered the gold standard for cardiorespiratory fitness. Evaluation of peak VO2 to identify high-risk candidates for liver transplantation (LT) may represent an interesting approach. The aims of this study were (a) to describe AC and identify factors independently associated with peak VO2; (b) to analyze the prognostic value of peak VO2 in patients referred for preliminary evaluation of LT; and (c) to provide preliminary data on the influence of peak VO2 on length of hospitalization and the need for oxygen support after LT.

RESULTS

Peak VO2 was determined in patients referred for preliminary evaluation for LT. One hundred thirty-five candidates were included. More than half had severe alterations in peak VO2. Age, gender, model-for-end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, tobacco use, and hemoglobin were independently associated with peak VO2. Candidates with severe alterations in peak VO2 had a lower 1-year survival than others. Model-for-end-stage liver disease score and peak VO2 were independently associated with survival. In patients with a MELD above 17, those with severe alterations of peak VO2 AC had lower 1-year survival than the others. Among patients who underwent LT, those with severe impairment of peak VO2 showed a trend toward a higher mean length of hospitalization after LT and had significantly longer need for oxygen support.

CONCLUSIONS

Peak VO2 is severely impaired in candidates for LT and affects survival and post-LT course. Perioperative respiratory rehabilitation programs validated in lung and heart transplantation must be tested.

MR Imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma in the cirrhotic liver: challenges and controversies

The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is expected to increase in the next 2 decades, largely due to hepatitis C infection and secondary cirrhosis. HCC is being detected at an earlier stage owing to the implementation of screening programs. Biopsy is no longer required prior to treatment, and diagnosis of HCC is heavily dependent on imaging characteristics. The most recent recommendations by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) state that a diagnosis of HCC can be made if a mass larger than 2 cm shows typical features of HCC (hypervascularity in the arterial phase and washout in the venous phase) at contrast material-enhanced computed tomography or magnetic resonance (MR) imaging or if a mass measuring 1-2 cm shows these features at both modalities. There is an ever-increasing demand on radiologists to detect smaller tumors, when curative therapies are most effective. However, the major difficulty in imaging cirrhosis is the characterization of hypervascular nodules smaller than 2 cm, which often have nonspecific imaging characteristics. The authors present a review of the MR imaging and pathologic features of regenerative nodules and dysplastic nodules and focus on HCC in the cirrhotic liver, with particular reference to small tumors and lesions that may mimic HCC. The authors also review the sensitivity of MR imaging for the detection of these tumors and discuss the staging of HCC and the treatment options in the context of the guidelines of the AASLD and the imaging criteria required by the United Network for Organ Sharing for transplantation. MR findings following ablation and chemoembolization are also reviewed.

Racial differences in liver transplantation outcomes in the MELD era

OBJECTIVES

Beginning February 28, 2002, the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score was introduced to better allocate donor livers. Racial differences in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) outcomes prior to this time have been attributed to late listing of some racial groups. Racial differences in post-transplant survival in the MELD era have not been previously examined.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective observational cohort study using the United Network for Organ Sharing database for adult liver transplants performed between 2002 and 2006. We examined patient and graft survival at 2 yr and compared disease-specific survival rates among the different races.

RESULTS

A total of 10,409 whites, 1,133 blacks, 1,548 Hispanics, and 765 transplant recipients belonging to other races were included in the study. On multivariate analysis, blacks had lower overall (hazard ratio for death [HR] 1.29, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.10-1.52) and graft (HR 1.38, 95% CI 1.20-1.58) survival at 2 yr compared to whites, while Hispanics had better overall (HR 0.78) and graft (HR 0.82) survival. Compared to whites, blacks transplanted for hepatitis C or HCC had lower survival at 2 yr.

CONCLUSION

In the MELD era, black patients have significantly lower overall and graft survival at 2 yr compared to whites.

Use of severely steatotic grafts in liver transplantation: a matched case-control study

BACKGROUND

Although there is a worldwide need to expand the pool of available liver grafts, cadaveric livers with severe steatosis (>60%) are discarded for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) by most centers.

METHODS

We analyzed patients receiving liver grafts with severe steatosis between January 2002 and September 2006. These patients were matched 1:2 with control patients without severe steatosis according to status the waiting list, recipient age, recipient body mass index (BMI), and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score. Primary end points were the incidence of primary graft nonfunction (PNF), and graft and patient survival. Secondary end points included primary graft dysfunction (PDF), the incidence of postoperative complications, and histologic assessment of steatosis in follow-up biopsies. We also conducted a survey on the use of grafts with severe steatosis among leading European liver transplant centers.

RESULTS

During the study period, 62 patients dropped out of the waiting list and 45 of them died due to progression of disease. Of 118 patients who received transplants 20 (17%) received a graft with severe steatosis during this period. The median degree of total liver steatosis was 90% (R = 65%-100%) for the steatotic group. The steatotic (n = 20) and matched control group (n = 40) were comparable in terms of recipient age, BMI, MELD score, and cold ischemia time. The steatotic group had a significantly higher rate of PDF and/or renal failure. Although the median intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stay were not significantly different between both groups, the proportion of patients with long-term ICU (> or =21 days) and hospital (> or =40 days) stay was significantly higher for patients with a severely steatotic graft. Sixty-day mortality (5% vs. 5%) and 3-year patient survival rate (83% vs. 84%) were comparable between the control and severe steatosis group. Postoperative histologic assessment demonstrated that the median total amount of liver steatosis decreased significantly (median: 90% to 15%, P < 0.001). Our survey showed that all but one of the European centers currently reject liver grafts with severe steatosis for any recipient.

CONCLUSION

Due to the urgent need of liver grafts, severely steatotic grafts should be no longer discarded for OLT. Maximal effort must be spent when dealing with these high-risk organs but the use of severely steatotic grafts may save the lives of many patients who would die on the waiting list.

Review article: Management of ascites and associated complications in patients with cirrhosis

BACKGROUND

Ascites is the most common complication of cirrhosis, associated with an expected survival below 50% after 5 years. Prognosis is particularly poor for patients with refractory ascites and for those developing complications, including spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) and hepatorenal syndrome (HRS).

AIM

To provide an evidence-based overview of the pathophysiology, diagnosis and clinical management of ascites secondary to liver cirrhosis.

METHODS

Review based on relevant medical literature.

RESULTS

Portal hypertension, splanchnic vasodilatation and renal sodium retention are fundamental in the pathophysiology of ascites formation. The SAAG (serum-ascites albumin gradient) allows reliable assessment of the cause of ascites. The majority of cirrhotic patients with ascites can be managed with dietary sodium restriction in combination with diuretic agents. Large volume paracentesis with albumin suppletion and TIPS are therapeutic options in patients with refractory ascites. Prophylactic antibiotics for SBP should be given in certain patient populations.

CONCLUSIONS

Recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of ascites and associated complications have improved the medical management and poor prognosis of patients with these manifestations of advanced liver disease. Early diagnosis, adequate treatment and focus on prevention of complications remain essential as well as timely referral for liver transplantation.

Geographic disparities in deceased donor liver transplantation within a single UNOS region

Although the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scoring system has improved the ability to measure medical urgency for transplantation, geographic disparities in the probability of being delisted as a result of complications of end-stage liver disease or death and in the probability of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) remain. The purpose of the current study was to identify factors associated with these variations among donor service areas (DSAs) in one United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) region. Data for 2,948 candidates listed for OLT within 4 DSAs in UNOS region 4 between February 2002 and November 2005 were obtained from UNOS. Multivariate regression models were used to identify study factors associated with delisting (due to deterioration or death) and likelihood of OLT. After risk adjustment for candidate characteristics, those listed in DSA-3 and DSA-4 were at significantly higher risk of delisting than candidates listed in DSA-2 (hazard ratio, 1.22 and 1.10 vs. 0.87 for DSA-2; P = 0.01 and 0.05, respectively). In addition, the likelihood of OLT was significantly higher for candidates listed in DSA-1 than in DSA-2, DSA-3 or DSA-4 (hazard ratio, 1.00 compared with 0.45, 0.77, and 0.51; P < 0.001 for all pairwise comparisons). Despite the implementation of the MELD system, great geographic disparities exist in the likelihood of delisting and for OLT, suggesting the need for further refinement in regional allocation strategies.

Different methods of creatinine measurement significantly affect MELD scores

Bilirubin (Bil) interferes with creatinine (Cr) measurement. Different laboratory methods are used to overcome this problem. Model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) scoring incorporates Cr and is used to prioritize patients for liver transplantation. Thus, MELD scores may vary with different Cr measurements influencing patients' priority. Our aim was to evaluate 4 different Cr assays (O'Leary modified Jaffe [mJCr], compensated [rate blanked] kinetic Jaffe [cJCr], enzymatic [ECr], and standard kinetic Jaffe [JCr]) in patients with abnormal liver function tests and assess changes in MELD score. A total of 403 consecutive samples from 158 patients' Cr assays were evaluated.. Bland-Altman plots and MELD scores were also evaluated for each assay. Agreement was found to be poor among all Cr assays. Increased variability in Cr occurred with increasing Bil concentrations: Bil <100 micromol/L <or=3-point MELD variation - 3-point difference in 2%; Bil >or=400micromol/L <or=7-point MELD variation - >or=3-point difference in 78%. When MELD was >or=25 (mJCr as reference; mean, 30.5 points), MELD variation was greatest: mean, 28 (MELD cJCr), 27.5 (MELD ECr), and 28.4 (MELD JCr) (P < 0.001). In conclusion, there is poor agreement among different assays for Cr. As Bil concentration rises, there is greater variability in each creatinine measurements and thus greater variability in MELD scores that, this affect prioritization for liver transplantation.

The value of MELD and sodium in assessing potential liver transplant recipients in the United Kingdom

As the result of the widening gap between supply and demand of organs for liver transplantation, efforts to improve allocation have become an increasingly important yet controversial subject. The MELD score has been adopted in the USA but its usefulness has rarely been examined in Europe. We carried out an intention to treat analysis of 422 patients placed on our transplant waiting list over a 5-year period. We examined multiple variables to investigate the value of MELD, sodium and other factors in predicting post-transplant outcomes. MELD at transplant was the most important indicator of post-transplant outcomes. In addition, delta-MELD and hyponatreamia were significant at predicting, which patients placed on the waiting list would not proceed to transplant. While a move to allocating solely by MELD is not justified in the UK allocation system, there is value in using MELD, delta-MELD and hyponatreamia in making decisions regarding the allocation of organs. This may subsequently help to improve overall outcomes.

Female liver transplant recipients with the same GFR as male recipients have lower MELD scores--a systematic bias

Women have lower glomerular filtration (GFR) than men for the same serum creatinine (Cr) value, not accounted for in model for end-stage liver disease (MELD). We compare male/female Cr, GFR (using MDRD formula) and respective MELD scores in 403 Cr measurements using standard (sCr), O'Leary modified (mCr) and Compensated (cCr) Jaffe and Enzymatic (eCr) in 158 liver disease patients, mCr in 208 liver transplantation (LT) candidates, and EDTA-Cr(51)-GFR in 38 other candidates for LT; considering each female as male, a 'corrected' Cr was derived. MELD scores were calculated for measured and "corrected" Cr in females. Median Cr and GFR in females were lower than males (p < 0.05). Both MDRD and EDTA-Cr(51) GFR were lower in females than males, despite lower Cr values. In females, each MELD score was lower than the corresponding MELD-corrected Cr (p < 0.001) with > or =three-point difference in liver disease patients: 25%[sCr]; 23%[mCr]; 11%[eCr]; and 14%[cCr]. In 65% of female LT candidates, two- or three-point difference was found. Females with liver disease have lower GFR than males for the same Cr value; correcting Cr increases MELD score by two or three points in 65% of female LT candidates. MELD score adjustment in females would ensure equal LT priority by gender.

Morbidity and mortality of children with chronic liver diseases who were listed for liver transplantation in Iran

Liver transplantation is the treatment of choice for end-stage liver disease in children, but donor shortage is still a main problem in this age group. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the complications and mortality of liver disease in children waiting for transplantation. We analyzed medical records of 83 children aged <18 yr, who were listed for liver transplantation but the organ was not available for them between 1999 and 2006. The outcome was assessed from their records or follow-up data. Among the children (mean age, 8 +/- 5 yr; 50.5% boys) listed for liver transplantation, but the organ was not available for them, the common causes of cirrhosis were biliary atresia (27.7%) and cryptogenic (24.1%). The mean follow-up duration was 14 +/- 13.4 months (range 0.5-54 months). Sixty-seven (80.7%) patients developed one or more complications while awaiting transplantation. The most common complications were gastrointestinal bleeding (44.6%), spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (36.1%), infectious complications (28.9%), encephalopathy (24.1%), renal (18.1%), and pulmonary problems (10.8%). Fifty-one (61.4%) patients needed hospital admission because of complications and 26 (31.3%) patients died while awaiting transplantation. About two-thirds of children listed for liver transplantation needed hospital admission because of complications and one-third of them died without any liver transplantation. It seems that more split liver transplantation as well as the introduction of a live-related program in our center will provide many benefits to our children.