DCD liver transplant in patients with a MELD over 35

Introduction

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) liver transplantation (LT) makes up well less than 1% of all LTs with a Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD)≥35 in the United States. We hypothesized DCD-LT yields acceptable ischemia-reperfusion and reasonable outcomes for recipients with MELD≥35.

Methods

We analyzed recipients with lab-MELD≥35 at transplant within the UCSF (n=41) and the UNOS (n=375) cohorts using multivariate Cox regression and propensity score matching.

Results

In the UCSF cohort, five-year patient survival was 85% for DCD-LTs and 86% for matched-Donation after Brain Death donors-(DBD) LTs (p=0.843). Multivariate analyses showed that younger donor/recipient age and more recent transplants (2011-2021 versus 1999-2010) were associated with better survival. DCD vs. DBD graft use did not significantly impact survival (HR: 1.2, 95%CI 0.6-2.7). The transaminase peak was approximately doubled, indicating suggesting an increased ischemia-reperfusion hit. DCD-LTs had a median post-LT length of stay of 11 days, and 34% (14/41) were on dialysis at discharge versus 12 days and 22% (9/41) for DBD-LTs. 27% (11/41) DCD-LTs versus 12% (5/41) DBD-LTs developed a biliary complication (p=0.095). UNOS cohort analysis confirmed patient survival predictors, but DCD graft emerged as a risk factor (HR: 1.5, 95%CI 1.3-1.9) with five-year patient survival of 65% versus 75% for DBD-LTs (p=0.016). This difference became non-significant in a sub-analysis focusing on MELD 35-36 recipients. Analysis of MELD≥35 DCD recipients showed that donor age of <30yo independently reduced the risk of graft loss by 30% (HR, 95%CI: 0.7 (0.9-0.5), p=0.019). Retransplant status was associated with a doubled risk of adverse event (HR, 95%CI: 2.1 (1.4-3.3), p=0.001). The rejection rates at 1y were similar between DCD- and DBD-LTs, (9.3% (35/375) versus 1,541 (8.7% (1,541/17,677), respectively).

Discussion

In highly selected recipient/donor pair, DCD transplantation is feasible and can achieve comparable survival to DBD transplantation. Biliary complications occurred at the expected rates. In the absence of selection, DCD-LTs outcomes remain worse than those of DBD-LTs.

Advantages and Limitations of Clinical Scores for Donation After Circulatory Death Liver Transplantation

Background: Scoring systems have been proposed to select donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors and recipients for liver transplantation (LT). We hypothesized that complex scoring systems derived in large datasets might not predict outcomes locally. Methods: Based on 1-year DCD-LT graft survival predictors in multivariate logistic regression models, we designed, validated, and compared a simple index using the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) cohort (n = 136) and a universal-comprehensive (UC)-DCD score using the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) cohort (n = 5,792) to previously published DCD scoring systems. Results: The total warm ischemia time (WIT)-index included donor WIT (dWIT) and hepatectomy time (dHep). The UC-DCD score included dWIT, dHep, recipient on mechanical ventilation, transjugular-intrahepatic-portosystemic-shunt, cause of liver disease, model for end-stage liver disease, body mass index, donor/recipient age, and cold ischemia time. In the UNOS cohort, the UC-score outperformed all previously published scores in predicting DCD-LT graft survival (AUC: 0.635 vs. ≤0.562). In the UCSF cohort, the total WIT index successfully stratified survival and biliary complications, whereas other scores did not. Conclusion: DCD risk scores generated in large cohorts provide general guidance for safe recipient/donor selection, but they must be tailored based on non-/partially-modifiable local circumstances to expand DCD utilization.

Motivations and outcomes of compatible living donor-recipient pairs in paired exchange

Increasing numbers of compatible pairs are choosing to enter paired exchange programs, but motivations, outcomes, and system-level effects of participation are not well described. Using a linkage of the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients and National Kidney Registry, we compared outcomes of traditional (originally incompatible) recipients to originally compatible recipients using the Kaplan-Meier method. We identified 154 compatible pairs. Most pairs sought to improve HLA matching. Compared to the original donor, actual donors were younger (39 vs. 50 years, p < .001), less often female (52% vs. 68%, p < .01), higher BMI (27 vs. 25 kg/m², p = .03), less frequently blood type O (36% vs. 80%, p < .001), and had higher eGFR (99 vs. 94 ml/min/1.73 m², p = .02), with a better LKDPI (median 7 vs. 22, p < .001). We observed no differences in graft failure or mortality. Compatible pairs made 280 additional transplants possible, many in highly sensitized recipients with long wait times. Compatible pair recipients derived several benefits from paired exchange, including better donor quality. Living donor pairs should receive counseling regarding all options available, including kidney paired donation. As more compatible pairs choose to enter exchange programs, consideration should be given to optimizing compatible pair and hard-to-transplant recipient outcomes.

Retransplantation After Living Donor Liver Transplantation: Data from the Adult to Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Study

BACKGROUND

The use of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for primary liver transplantation (LT) may quell concerns about allocating deceased donor organs if the need for retransplantation (re-LT) arises because the primary LT did not draw from the limited organ pool. However, outcomes of re-LT after LDLT are poorly studied. The purpose of this study was to analyze the Adult to Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Study (A2ALL) data to report outcomes of re-LT after LDLT, with a focus on long-term survival after re-LT.

METHODS

A retrospective review of A2ALL data collected between 1998 and 2014 was performed. Patients were excluded if they received a deceased donor LT. Demographic data, postoperative outcomes and complications, graft and patient survival, and predictors of re-LT and patient survival were assessed.

RESULTS

Of the 1065 patients who underwent LDLT during the study time period, 110 recipients (10.3%) required re-LT. In multivariable analyses, hepatitis C virus, longer length of stay at LDLT, hepatic artery thrombosis, biliary stricture, infection, and disease recurrence were associated with an increased risk of re-LT. Patient survival among re-LT patients was significantly inferior to those who underwent primary transplant only at 1 (86% versus 92%), 5 (64% versus 82%), and 10 years (44% versus 68%).

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately 10% of A2ALL patients who underwent primary LDLT required re-LT. Compared with patients who underwent primary LT, survival among re-LT recipients was worse at 1, 5, and 10 years after LT, and re-LT was associated with a significantly increased risk of death in multivariable modeling (hazard ratios, 2.29; P < 0.001).

Opioid use prior to liver transplant is associated with increased risk of death after transplant

BACKGROUND

Opioids are generally discouraged and used sparingly in liver transplant (LT) candidates prior to LT. This study examined the relationship between opioid use at the time of LT and graft and patient survival following transplantation.

METHODS

A retrospective single center cohort study of LT recipients from June 2012 to December 2019 was performed. Primary outcomes were graft and patient survival, analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards models; primary predictor was active opioid prescription at LT.

RESULTS

751 LT recipients were included; 16% had an opioid prescription at LT. Post-transplant death was significantly greater in opioid users (pvalue<0.001). In a multivariable Cox model examining predictors of death, opioid use remained associated with a significant increase in the risk of death (HR 2.4 CI 1.5-4.0, p < 0.001) even after controlling for other factors.

CONCLUSION

Opioid use at LT is associated with a markedly increased risk of death following transplant.

Molecular Insights in Transmission of Cancer From an Organ Donor to Four Transplant Recipients

Organ donors are systematically screened for infection, whereas screening for malignancy is less rigorous. The true incidence of donor-transmitted malignancies is unknown due to a lack of universal tumor testing in the posttransplant setting. Donor-transmitted malignancy may occur even when not suspected based on donor or recipient factors, including age and time to cancer diagnosis. We describe the detection of a gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma transmitted from a young donor to 4 transplant recipients. Multidimensional histopathologic and genomic profiling showed a CDH1 mutation and MET amplification, consistent with gastric origin. At the time of writing, one patient in this series remains alive and without evidence of cancer after prompt organ explant after cancer was reported in other recipients. Because identification of a donor-derived malignancy changes management, our recommendation is to routinely perform short tandem repeat testing (or a comparable assay) immediately upon diagnosis of cancer in any organ transplant recipient. Routine testing for a donor-origin cancer and centralized reporting of outcomes are necessary to establish a robust evidence base for the future development of clinical practice guidelines.

Inferior Long-Term Graft Survival of Suboptimal Kidneys After Living Donor Kidney Transplantation

BACKGROUND

In living donors, if both kidneys are considered to be of equal quality, the side with favorable anatomy for transplant is usually selected. A "suboptimal kidney" is a kidney that has a significant abnormality and is chosen to maintain the principle of leaving the better kidney with the donor. We hypothesized that the long-term outcome of suboptimal kidney is inferior to that of the normal kidney.

METHODS

In a retrospective analysis of 1744 living donor kidney transplantations performed between 1999 and 2015 at our institution, 172 allografts were considered as a suboptimal kidney (9.9%). Median length of follow-up after living donor kidney transplantation was 59.5 months (interquartile range 26.3-100.8). This study strictly complied with the Helsinki Congress and the Istanbul Declaration regarding donor source.

RESULTS

The reasons for suboptimal kidneys were cysts or tumors (46.5%), arterial abnormalities (22.7%), inferior size or function (19.8%), and anatomic abnormalities (11.0%). Suboptimal kidneys showed worse long-term overall graft survival regardless of the reasons (5-year: control vs suboptimal kidney; 88.9% vs 79.3%, P = .001 and 10-year: 73.6% vs 63.5%, P = .004). Suboptimal kidneys showed a 1.6-fold higher adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of all-cause graft loss (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-2.5, P = .025) and had the same impact as older donor age (≥ 54 years old, aHR: 1.6, 95% CI: 1.1-2.4, P = .008).

CONCLUSIONS

The impact of suboptimal kidney should be factored into the donor selection process.

Rapid Modification of Workflows and Fellow Staffing at a Single Transplant Center to Address the COVID-19 Crisis

Background

Although hospital systems have largely halted elective surgical practices in preparing their response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, transplantation remains an essential and lifesaving surgical practice. To continue transplantation while protecting immunocompromised patients and health care workers, significant restructuring of normal patient care practice habits is required.

Methods

This is a nonrandomized, descriptive study of the abdominal transplant program at 1 academic center (University of California, San Francisco) and the programmatic changes undertaken to safely continue transplantations. Patient transfers, fellow use, and patient discharge education were identified as key areas requiring significant reorganization.

Results

The University of California, San Francisco abdominal transplant program took an early and aggressive approach to restructuring inpatient workflows and health care worker staffing. The authors formalized a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transfer system to address patients in need of services at their institution while minimizing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 in their transplant ward and used technological approaches to provide virtual telehealth where possible. They also modified their transplant fellow staffing and responsibilities to develop an adequate backup system in case of potential exposures.

Conclusion

Every transplant program is unique, and an individualized plan to adapt and modify standard clinical practices will be required to continue providing essential transplantation services. The authors’ experience highlights areas of attention specific to transplant programs and may provide generalizable solutions to support continued transplantation in the COVID-19 era.

Molecular characterization of a gastric cancer transmitted from an organ donor to four transplant recipients

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Background: Donor-derived malignancy may occur even when not suspected based on donor or recipient factors, including age and time to cancer diagnosis. Early recognition of donor-derived malignancy has treatment implications. We describe the molecular characterization of a gastric cancer transmitted from an organ donor to heart, liver (LR), left kidney (LKR), and right kidney-pancreas (KPR) recipients. Methods: IRB approval for chart review was obtained; LR, LKR, and KPR also provided research consent for molecular profiling. Short Tandem Repeat (STR) genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction and gel electrophoresis. Tumor and germline DNA from patients and the organ donor were subjected to next generation sequencing (NGS) of 479 genes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to confirm MET amplification. Results: Donor origin was established by STR analysis, with the tumors showing high levels of donor alleles. Pathology revealed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with signet ring features. Immunohistochemical staining and CA-19-9 elevation were most consistent with gastric or pancreas origin. Tumor sequencing was notable for somatic mutation of CDH1, MET amplification and wild-type KRAS genes. Tumors from LR and KPR were nearly identical based on pathogenic variants, allele frequency, and copy number variation. Insufficient tumor cellularity in all LKR specimens precluded NGS profiling, but clinical testing found that the cancer was mismatch repair proficient; ERBB2 equivocal; and PDL-1 positive. A circulating tumor DNA test did not uncover any genomic alterations; however, MET amplification was confirmed in this tumor using FISH probes. Conclusions: STR analysis and reporting should be standard immediately following diagnosis of cancer in an organ transplant recipient to ascertain donor derivation. Further molecular characterization, including NGS, may aid in defining primary tumor origin. Here, diagnosis with PDL1-positive gastric cancer enabled use of pembrolizumab. One patient remains alive and without evidence of cancer following prompt organ explant after cancer was reported in other recipients.

Bi-organ paired exchange-Sentinel case of a liver-kidney swap

Organ transplantation is the optimal treatment for patients with end stage liver disease and end stage renal disease. However, due to the imbalance in the demand and supply of deceased organs, most transplant centers worldwide have consciously pursued a strategy for living donation. Paired exchanges were introduced as a means to bypass various biologic incompatibilities (blood- and tissue-typing), while expanding the living donor pool. This shift in paradigm has introduced new ethical concerns that have hitherto been unaddressed, especially with nondirected, altruistic living donors. So far, transplant communities have focused efforts on separate liver- and kidney-paired exchanges, whereas the concept of a transorgan paired exchange has been theorized and could potentially facilitate a greater number of transplants. We describe the performance of the first successful liver-kidney swap.

Fatigue, Pain, and Other Physical Symptoms of Living Liver Donors in the Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study

Little is known about living liver donors' perceptions of their physical well-being following the procedure. We collected data on donor fatigue, pain, and other relevant physical outcomes as part of the prospective, multicenter Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study consortium. A total of 271 (91%) of 297 eligible donors were interviewed at least once before donation and 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after donation using validated measures when available. Repeated measures regression models were used to identify potential predictors of worse physical outcomes. We found that donors reported more fatigue immediately after surgery that improved by 2 years after donation, but not to predonation levels. A similar pattern was seen across a number of other physical outcomes. Abdominal or back pain and interference from their pain were rated relatively low on average at all study points. However, 21% of donors did report clinically significant pain at some point during postdonation study follow-up. Across multiple outcomes, female donors, donors whose recipients died, donors with longer hospital stays after surgery, and those whose families discouraged donation were at risk for worse physical well-being outcomes. In conclusion, although not readily modifiable, we have identified risk factors that may help identify donors at risk for worse physical outcomes for targeted intervention. Liver Transplantation 00 000-000 2018 AASLD.

Splenic Vein Thrombosis Following Pancreas Transplantation: Identification of Factors That Support Conservative Management

Prophylaxis for graft portal/splenic venous thrombosis following pancreas transplant varies between institutions. Similarly, treatment of venous thrombosis ranges from early re-exploration to conservative management with anticoagulation. We wished to determine the prevalence of graft splenic vein (SV) thrombosis, as well as the clinical significance of non-occlusive thrombus observed on routine imaging. Records of 112 pancreas transplant recipients over a 5-year period at a single center were reviewed. Venous thrombosis was defined as absence of flow or presence of thrombus identified in any part of the graft SV on ultrasound. Thirty patients (27%) had some degree of thrombus or absence of flow in the SV on postoperative ultrasound. There were 5 graft losses in this group. Four were due to venous thrombosis, and occurred within 20 days of transplant. All patients with non-occlusive partial SV thrombus but normal arterial signal on Doppler ultrasound were successfully treated with IV heparin followed by warfarin for 3-6 months, and remained insulin independent. Findings of arterial signal abnormalities, such as absence or reversal of diastolic flow within the graft, require urgent operative intervention since this finding can be associated with more extensive thrombus that may lead to graft loss.

Pancreas-After-Islet Transplantation in Nonuremic Type 1 Diabetes: A Strategy for Restoring Durable Insulin Independence

Islet transplantation offers a minimally invasive approach for β cell replacement in diabetic patients with hypoglycemic unawareness. Attempts at insulin independence may require multiple islet reinfusions from distinct donors, increasing the risk of allogeneic sensitization. Currently, solid organ pancreas transplant is the only remaining surgical option following failed islet transplantation in the United States; however, the immunologic impact of repeated exposure to donor antigens on subsequent pancreas transplantation is unclear. We describe a case series of seven patients undergoing solid organ pancreas transplant following islet graft failure with long-term follow-up of pancreatic graft survival and renal function. Despite highly variable panel reactive antibody levels prior to pancreas transplant (mean 27 ± 35%), all seven patients achieved stable and durable insulin independence with a mean follow-up of 6.7 years. Mean hemoglobin A1c values improved significantly from postislet, prepancreas levels (mean 8.1 ± 1.5%) to postpancreas levels (mean 5.3 ± 0.1%; p = 0.0022). Three patients experienced acute rejection episodes that were successfully managed with thymoglobulin and methylprednisolone, and none of these preuremic type 1 diabetic recipients developed stage 4 or 5 chronic kidney disease postoperatively. These results support pancreas-after-islet transplantation with aggressive immunosuppression and protocol biopsies as a viable strategy to restore insulin independence after islet graft failure.

Social and Financial Outcomes of Living Liver Donation: A Prospective Investigation Within the Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study 2 (A2ALL-2)

Because results from single-center (mostly kidney) donor studies demonstrate interpersonal relationship and financial strains for some donors, we conducted a liver donor study involving nine centers within the Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study 2 (A2ALL-2) consortium. Among other initiatives, A2ALL-2 examined the nature of these outcomes following donation. Using validated measures, donors were prospectively surveyed before donation and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 mo after donation. Repeated-measures regression models were used to examine social relationship and financial outcomes over time and to identify relevant predictors. Of 297 eligible donors, 271 (91%) consented and were interviewed at least once. Relationship changes were positive overall across postdonation time points, with nearly one-third reporting improved donor family and spousal or partner relationships and >50% reporting improved recipient relationships. The majority of donors, however, reported cumulative out-of-pocket medical and nonmedical expenses, which were judged burdensome by 44% of donors. Lower income predicted burdensome donation costs. Those who anticipated financial concerns and who held nonprofessional positions before donation were more likely to experience adverse financial outcomes. These data support the need for initiatives to reduce financial burden.

Impact of Graft Selection on Donor and Recipient Outcomes After Living Donor Liver Transplantation

BACKGROUND

Balancing donor and recipient risks in living donor liver transplantation remains an issue of debate. This study assessed the impact of graft selection on outcomes and complications for left lobe (LL) versus right lobe (RL) donors and recipients.

METHODS

The medical records of donors and recipients, who underwent living donor liver transplantation at our institution between 2003 and 2015, were reviewed. For donors, we evaluated graft volume, residual liver volume per standard liver volume, length of hospital stay (LOS), complications, and readmissions. For recipients, we looked at graft and patient survival, graft function at postoperative days 7 and 14, graft volume, LOS, biliary complications, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease at transplant, and hepatitis C virus status.

RESULTS

At 5 years posttransplant, there were no significant differences in graft survival for LL recipients (86% [95% confidence interval, 74-93]) compared with 82% (95% confidence interval, 69-89) for RL recipients (P = 0.85) or recipient survival (90% vs 84%; P = 0.44). In LL recipients, postoperative days 7 and 14 median international normalized ratio (1.5 and 1.2, respectively) and total bilirubin (4.6 and 2.7) were significantly greater compared with RL recipients (7 and 14 days international normalized ratio [1.2, P < 0.001; 1.1, P = 0.001] and total bilirubin (2.7, P = 0.001; 2.1, P = 0.05)). The LL recipients also had a significantly greater median LOS (14 vs 10, P = 0.008). Median donor LOS was significantly greater for RL donors (7 [interquartile range, 7-8] vs 7 [interquartile range, 6-7] days, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The RL and LL grafts provide comparable long-term outcomes in properly selected donor-recipient pairs and the appropriate use of LL grafts does not impact graft or patient survival at 5 years posttransplant.

Complications and Their Resolution in Recipients of Deceased and Living Donor Liver Transplants: Findings From the A2ALL Cohort Study

The purpose of this study was to explore long-term complications in recipients of deceased donor liver transplant (DDLT) and living donor liver transplant (LDLT) in the Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study (A2ALL). We analyzed 471 DDLTs and 565 LDLTs from 1998 to 2010 that were followed up to 10 years for 36 categories of complications. Probabilities of complications and their resolutions were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and predictors were tested in Cox proportional hazards models. Median follow-up for DDLT and LDLT was 4.19 and 4.80 years, respectively. DDLT recipients were more likely to have hepatocellular carcinoma and higher disease severity, including Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score. Complications occurring with higher probability in LDLT included biliary-related complications and hepatic artery thrombosis. In DDLT, ascites, intra-abdominal bleeding, cardiac complications and pulmonary edema were significantly more probable. Development of chronic kidney disease stage 4 or 5 was less likely in LDLT recipients (hazard ratio [HR] 0.41, p = 0.02). DDLT and LDLT had similar risk of grade 4 complications (HR 0.89, p = 0.60), adjusted for other risk factors. Once a complication occurred, the time to resolution did not differ between LDLT and DDLT. Future efforts should be directed toward reducing the occurrence of complications after liver transplantation.

Long-term quality of life after liver donation in the adult to adult living donor liver transplantation cohort study (A2ALL)

BACKGROUND & AIMS

There are few long-term studies of the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in living liver donors. This study aimed to characterize donor HRQOL in the Adult to Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Study (A2ALL) up to 11 years post-donation.

METHODS

Between 2004 and 2013, HRQOL was assessed at evaluation, at 3 months, and yearly post-donation in prevalent liver donors using the short-form survey (SF-36), which provides a physical (PCS) and a mental component summary (MCS).

RESULTS

Of the 458 donors enrolled in A2ALL, 374 (82%) had SF-36 data. Mean age at evaluation was 38 (range 18-63), 47% were male, 93% white, and 43% had a bachelor's degree or higher. MCS and PCS means were above the US population at all time points. However, at every time point there were some donors who reported poor scores (>1/2 standard deviation below the age and sex adjusted mean) (PCS: 5.3-26.8%,

MCS

10.0-25.0%). Predictors of poor PCS and MCS scores included recipient's death within the two years prior to the survey and education less than a bachelor's degree; poor PCS scores were also predicted by time since donation, Hispanic ethnicity, and at the 3-month post-donation time point.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, most living donors maintain above average HRQOL up to 11 years prospectively, supporting the notion that living donation does not negatively affect HRQOL. However, targeted support for donors at risk for poor HRQOL may improve overall HRQOL outcomes for living liver donors.

Liver regeneration after living donor transplantation: adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation cohort study

Adult-to-adult living donors and recipients were studied to characterize patterns of liver growth and identify associated factors in a multicenter study. Three hundred and fifty donors and 353 recipients in the Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study (A2ALL) receiving transplants between March 2003 and February 2010 were included. Potential predictors of 3-month liver volume included total and standard liver volumes (TLV and SLV), Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score (in recipients), the remnant and graft size, remnant-to-donor and graft-to-recipient weight ratios (RDWR and GRWR), remnant/TLV, and graft/SLV. Among donors, 3-month absolute growth was 676 ± 251 g (mean ± SD), and percentage reconstitution was 80% ± 13%. Among recipients, GRWR was 1.3% ± 0.4% (8 < 0.8%). Graft weight was 60% ± 13% of SLV. Three-month absolute growth was 549 ± 267 g, and percentage reconstitution was 93% ± 18%. Predictors of greater 3-month liver volume included larger patient size (donors and recipients), larger graft volume (recipients), and larger TLV (donors). Donors with the smallest remnant/TLV ratios had larger than expected growth but also had higher postoperative bilirubin and international normalized ratio at 7 and 30 days. In a combined donor-recipient analysis, donors had smaller 3-month liver volumes than recipients adjusted for patient size, remnant or graft volume, and TLV or SLV (P = 0.004). Recipient graft failure in the first 90 days was predicted by poor graft function at day 7 (HR = 4.50, P = 0.001) but not by GRWR or graft fraction (P > 0.90 for each). Both donors and recipients had rapid yet incomplete restoration of tissue mass in the first 3 months, and this confirmed previous reports. Recipients achieved a greater percentage of expected total volume. Patient size and recipient graft volume significantly influenced 3-month volumes. Importantly, donor liver volume is a critical predictor of the rate of regeneration, and donor remnant fraction affects postresection function. Liver Transpl 21:79-88, 2015. © 2014 AASLD.

Restricting liver transplant recipients to younger donors does not increase the wait-list time or the dropout rate: the hepatitis C experience

Older donor age is associated with lower graft and patient survival among all recipients of liver transplantation (LT). Among patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV), donor age is one of the strongest predictors of fibrosis severity and graft loss. We evaluated the implementation of a donor age restriction policy for LT patients with HCV at a single center and the effects that this policy had on wait-list (WL) and post-LT outcomes for HCV and non-HCV patients. This was a cohort study of 2388 WL patients and 1015 LT recipients between March 2002 and January 2013 and reflected 3 different eras of donor age policies. With the donor age restriction, the median donor age was reduced in LT recipients with HCV versus LT recipients without HCV (30 versus 48 years, P < 0.001) without differences in the WL time (10.6 versus 8.0 months, P = 0.23). According to a competing risks regression, those with HCV and those without HCV had lower subhazard ratios (SHRs) of dropout or death on the WL during the donor age restriction era versus the era without donor age restriction [SHR = 0.68 (P < 0.01) and SHR = 0.64 (P = 0.01), respectively]. No differences were seen in early post-LT survival for patients with or without HCV between eras (P = 0.7 and P = 0.88, respectively). In conclusion, we show that donor age restriction for HCV results in a lower donor age for HCV recipients without obvious adverse WL consequences. Although additional studies are needed, our results demonstrate the feasibility of donor age restriction for LT recipients with HCV, and such information may be relevant to programs with limited access to new antiviral therapies for which modifying the risk of severe disease remains of paramount importance.

Ex vivo split-liver transplantation: the true right/left split

BACKGROUND

Successful left lateral segment (sectionectomy) and right trisegmentectomy (trisectionectomy) split-liver transplantation (SLT) have been achieved. However, there are few reports of the use of true right/left splitting in SLT.

METHODS

A single-centre retrospective review of true right/left ex vivo split-liver transplants performed during the period 1993-2010 was conducted. Nine cadaveric liver grafts underwent splitting and the resultant 18 allografts were used in transplants performed at the study centre.

RESULTS

In the nine right lobe recipients, 10-year patient and graft survival rates were both 74%. There were no vascular complications, one biliary complication and one re-exploration. In the nine left lobe recipients, 10-year patient and graft survival rates were 78% and 66%, respectively. Postoperative complications included six biliary complications, four of which required surgical revision and all of which occurred within 5 months of transplantation, and two vascular complications, including one early hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) and one late HAT, one of which required retransplantation. Five left lobe recipients required re-exploration, and one patient developed small-for-size syndrome following SLT, which resolved with conservative measures.

CONCLUSIONS

True right/left ex vivo SLT remains a viable option for facilitating the expansion of the adult cadaver donor pool and allows for excellent patient and graft survival. Postoperative morbidity remains high, especially in recipients of the left lobe graft, and must be balanced with the benefits to be derived from transplant.

Risk factors for liver transplant waitlist dropout in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Loco-regional therapy has been developed to reduce waitlist dropout in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) awaiting liver transplantation. We evaluated the probability of transplantation and waitlist dropout, and analyzed risk factors for waitlist dropout, in 76 patients with HCC from September 2004 to August 2006. Seventy-three (96.1%) patients received one or more preoperative loco-regional treatments and 55 (72.3%) received an orthotopic liver transplantation with a median wait time of seven months (range, 2-26 months). There were 11 dropouts (14.5%) associated with tumor progression or hepatic decompensation (median waiting time; 5.4 months and range, 0.4-13 months). Cumulative probabilities of transplantation at three, six, nine, 12, 15, and 18 months were 5.4%, 35.4%, 67.5%, 78.8%, 80.7%, and 80.7%, respectively and those of waitlist dropout at three, six, nine, 12, 15, and 18 months were 3.9%, 8.7%, 12.8%, 22.9%, 29.3%, and 29.3%, respectively. A laboratory model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score >15 or multiple tumors at the time of UNOS listing were significant risk factors for waitlist dropout (p = 0.006 and 0.026, respectively). Patients with HCC being managed with loco-regional therapy who have a laboratory MELD score >15 or multiple tumors should be considered for earlier access to liver transplantation to prevent waitlist dropout.

Use of living donor liver transplantation varies with the availability of deceased donor liver transplantation

The demographics of patients in the United States who undergo living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) versus patients who undergo deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) are interesting with respect to the demographics of the donor service areas (DSAs). We examined adult recipients of primary, non-status 1 liver-only transplants from 2003 to 2009. The likelihood of undergoing LDLT was compared to the likelihood of undergoing DDLT by multivariate logistic regression. We examined the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for undergoing LDLT versus DDLT for patients with the same diagnosis and blood type after we stratified the DSAs into quintiles by the median match Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores. LDLT was performed for 1497 of 32,927 liver transplants (4.5%). LDLT decreased in frequency by approximately 30% from 2003 to 2009. In comparison with DDLT recipients, LDLT recipients were younger and had higher albumin levels, lower body mass indices, and lower match MELD scores. Females had increased odds of LDLT in comparison with males (OR = 1.74, P < 0.001). Patients with MELD exception scores were less likely to undergo LDLT (OR = 0.22, P < 0.001). Patients with cholestatic liver disease (adjusted OR = 2.04, P < 0.001) or malignant neoplasms other than hepatocellular carcinoma (adjusted OR = 3.33, P < 0.001) were more likely than patients with hepatitis C virus to undergo LDLT. Other characteristics associated with decreased odds of LDLT were black race (adjusted OR = 0.41, P < 0.001) and government insurance (adjusted OR = 0.51, P < 0.001). LDLT was more frequent in DSAs with high median MELD scores; the adjusted OR for LDLT was 38 for the DSAs in the highest quintile (P < 0.001). In conclusion, there are significant differences associated with race, insurance, sex, MELD exceptions, and DSA MELD scores between patients who undergo LDLT and patients who undergo DDLT. These differences can be hypothesized to be driven in part by the relative availability of LDLT versus DDLT at both the patient level and the DSA level.

Outcomes with split liver transplantation in 106 recipients: the University of California, San Francisco, experience from 1993 to 2010

BACKGROUND

Split liver transplantation (SLT) allows for expansion of the deceased donor pool.

OBJECTIVES

To assess outcomes and the impact of splitting technique (in situ vs ex vivo) in SLT recipients.

DESIGN

Single-center retrospective review (September 18, 1993, to July 1, 2010).

SETTING

University medical center.

PATIENTS

One hundred six SLT recipients.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Postoperative graft and patient survival and postoperative complications.

RESULTS

In adults, 1-, 5-, and 10-year overall patient survival was 93%, 77%, and 73%, respectively; overall graft survival was 89%, 76%, and 65%, respectively; ex vivo split patient survival was 93%, 85%, and 74%, respectively; and ex vivo graft survival was 86%, 77%, and 63%, respectively. In situ split patient and graft survival was 94% at 1 year and 75% at 5 years. Postoperative complications included biliary (29%), vascular (11%), unplanned reexploratory surgery (11%), incisional hernia (8%), small-for-size syndrome (n = 1), need for shunt at the time of SLT (n = 1), and primary nonfunction (n = 1). In children, 1-, 5-, and 10-year overall patient survival was 84%, 75%, and 69%, respectively; overall graft survival was 77%, 63%, and 57%, respectively; ex vivo split patient survival was 83%, 73%, and 73%, respectively; and ex vivo graft survival was 75%, 59%, and 59%, respectively. In situ split patient and graft survival was 86% at 1 and 5 years. Postoperative complications included biliary (40%), vascular (26%), and primary nonfunction (n = 1).

CONCLUSIONS

Split liver transplantation remains an excellent option for expansion of the deceased donor pool for adult and pediatric populations. Postoperative morbidity remains high; however, this is justifiable owing to limited resources.

Experience with laparoscopic donor nephrectomy among more than 1000 cases: low complication rates, despite more challenging cases

HYPOTHESIS

Despite the overall acceptance of laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDNX), concern remains about the application of this technique in certain complex situations, such as right-sided nephrectomies and in donors with complex kidney anatomy and obese donors. This study was designed to determine if complication rates have remained stable as we have offered LDNX to all medically acceptable donors and to analyze the results of cases in each of the complex categories. We hypothesized that complication rates in the 3 complex categories would be equivalent to those among more straightforward cases.

DESIGN

Retrospective medical record review.

SETTING

Academic medical center.

PATIENTS

A total of 1045 patients who underwent LDNX between November 3, 1999, and August 28, 2009.

MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES

Operative times, lengths of hospital stay, overall complications, major complications, conversions to open surgery, blood transfusions, readmissions, and reoperations.

RESULTS

The outcomes of the first 250 patients (when LDNX was selectively offered) were compared with the outcomes of the last 795 patients (when LDNX was offered to all medically acceptable donors). Overall operative times significantly improved (212 vs 176 minutes), overall complication rates did not change (6.4% vs 5.5%), and major complication rates significantly declined (4.0% vs 1.4%). Among the last 795 patients, 1 conversion to open surgery and 1 blood transfusion occurred. There were no deaths in the series. Moreover, no differences in overall or major complication rates were seen when cases involving 200 right-sided nephrectomies, 204 donors with complex kidney anatomy, and 148 obese donors were analyzed independently.

CONCLUSIONS

Low complication rates persist for LDNX, even when applied to more technically challenging cases. This procedure is offered to all medically acceptable donors, with an excellent safety profile, and should be considered the standard of care for kidney donation.

Outcomes of surgical repair of bile leaks and strictures after adult-to-adult living donor liver transplant

We sought to determine factors that predict the successful surgical repair of biliary complications after adult living donor liver transplantation (ALDLT).

METHODS

Records of 82 consecutive ALDLT right lobe recipients were reviewed. Operations were performed on 19 recipients for biliary complications. Post-operative biliary complications were analyzed. Fisher's exact test was used to identify variables that correlated with successful surgical repair.

RESULTS

A total of 29 recipients had biliary complications, of which 19 had a surgical repair. The five recipients, operated on for a stricture without history of leaks, did not develop further complications. However, nine of 14 with a history of a leak developed further complications after surgical repair (p-value = 0.044). All five who presented with a biliary complication more than 100 d after transplant had successful surgical repair; however, nine out of 13 who presented within 57 d had additional complications after repair.

CONCLUSIONS

Operations for strictures after ALDLT are more successful than operations for leaks. Recipients with isolated biliary strictures after ALDLT can be managed surgically; however, recipients with history of a leak often require additional interventions after surgical repair.

Comparison of biliary complications in adult living-donor liver transplants performed at two busy transplant centers

Adult living-donor liver transplantation (ALDLT) has a high rate of biliary complications. We identified risk factors that correlate with biliary leaks and strictures by combining data from two centers. Records of ALDLT right lobe recipients (n = 156) at two centers between December 1998 and February 2005 were reviewed. Leak rate was analyzed in 144 recipients after we excluded those with hepatic artery thrombosis or death within 30 d of transplant. Stricture rate was also analyzed in 132 recipients after we excluded those with graft survival or follow-up <180 d. Biliary reconstructions were performed using either duct-to-duct (DD) or Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy and were subclassified by anatomic type, number of anastomoses performed, and stent use. Prevalence of a leak and/or a stricture was 39%; 11% of recipients developed both. Single DD anastomoses between the graft right hepatic duct to the recipient common duct had significantly lower incidence of leaks compared to all other anastomotic types. Early leak was predictive of late stricture development (p = 0.006), but recipient demographics, diagnosis, warm ischemia time, anastomosis type, duct number, year of transplant, stent use, and transplant center were not. The results suggest donors with a single right hepatic duct reconstructed to the recipient common bile duct are the most likely to avoid biliary problems after ALDLT.

Emergent orthotopic liver transplantation for hemorrhage from a giant cavernous hepatic hemangioma: case report and review

INTRODUCTION

Cavernous hemangiomas represent the most common benign primary hepatic neoplasm, often being incidentally detected. Although the majority of hepatic hemangiomas remain asymptomatic, symptomatic hepatic hemangiomas can present with abdominal pain, hemorrhage, biliary compression, or a consumptive coagulopathy. The optimal surgical management of symptomatic hepatic hemangiomas remains controversial, with resection, enucleation, and both deceased donor and living donor liver transplantation having been reported.

CASE REPORT

We report the case of a patient found to have a unique syndrome of multiorgan cavernous hemangiomatosis involving the liver, lung, omentum, and spleen without cutaneous involvement. Sixteen years following her initial diagnosis, the patient suffered from intra-abdominal hemorrhage due to her giant cavernous hepatic hemangioma. Evidence of continued bleeding, in the setting of Kasabach-Merritt Syndrome and worsening abdominal compartment syndrome, prompted MELD exemption listing. The patient subsequently underwent emergent liver transplantation without complication.

CONCLUSION

Although cavernous hemangiomas represent the most common benign primary hepatic neoplasm, hepatic hemangioma rupture remains a rare presentation in these patients. Management at a center with expertise in liver transplantation is warranted for those patients presenting with worsening DIC or hemorrhage, given the potential for rapid clinical decompensation.

Genes involved in viral carcinogenesis and tumor initiation in hepatitis C virus-induced hepatocellular carcinoma

The role of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the pathogenesis of HCV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. To understand the transition from benign to malignant, we studied the gene expression patterns in liver tissues at different stages, including normal, cirrhosis, and different HCC stages. We studied 108 liver tissue samples obtained from 88 distinct patients (41 HCV-cirrhotic tissues, 17 HCV-cirrhotic tissues from patients with HCC, and 47 HCV-HCC tissues). Differentially expressed genes (DEG) were studied by use of high-density oligonucleotide arrays. Among probe sets identified as differentially expressed via the F test, all pairwise comparisons were performed. Cirrhotic tissues with and without concomitant HCC were further evaluated, and a classifier was used to predict whether the tissue type was associated with HCC. Differential expression profiles were analyzed using Interaction Networks and Functional Analysis. Characteristic gene signatures were identified when normal tissue was compared with cirrhosis, cirrhosis with early HCC, and normal with HCC. Pathway analysis classified the cellular and biological functions of the DEG as related to cellular growth and proliferation, cell death and inflammatory disease in cirrhosis; cell death, cell cycle, DNA replication, and immune response in early HCCs; and cell death, cell growth and proliferation, cell cycle, and DNA repair in advanced HCCs. Characteristic gene signatures were identified at different stages of HCV-HCC progression. A set of genes were identified to predict whether the cirrhotic tissue was associated with HCC.

Outcomes of living donor liver transplantation for acute liver failure: the adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation cohort study

For acute liver failure (ALF), living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) may reduce waiting time and provide better timing compared to deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT). However, there are concerns that a partial graft would result in reduced survival of critically ill LDLT recipients and that the rapid evolution of ALF would lead to selection of inappropriate donors. We report outcomes for ALF patients (and their donors) evaluated for LDLT between 1998 and April 2007 from the Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort. Of the 1201 potential LDLT recipients, 14 had ALF, only 6 of whom had an identified cause. The median time from listing to first donor evaluation was 1.5 days, and the median time from evaluation to transplantation was 1 day. One patient recovered without liver transplant, 3 of 10 LDLT recipients died, and 1 of 3 DDLT recipients died. Five of the 10 living donors had a total of 7 posttransplant complications. In conclusion, LDLT is rarely performed for ALF, but in selected patients it may be associated with acceptable recipient mortality and donor morbidity.

Excellent outcome following down-staging of hepatocellular carcinoma prior to liver transplantation: an intention-to-treat analysis

We previously reported encouraging results of down-staging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to meet conventional T2 criteria (one lesion 2-5 cm or two to three lesions <3 cm) for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in 30 patients as a test of concept. In this ongoing prospective study, we analyzed longer-term outcome data on HCC down-staging in a larger cohort of 61 patients with tumor stage exceeding T2 criteria who were enrolled between June 2002 and January 2007. Eligibility criteria for down-staging included: (1) one lesion >5 cm and up to 8 cm; (2) two to three lesions with at least one lesion >3 cm and not exceeding 5 cm, with total tumor diameter up to 8 cm; or (3) four to five lesions with none >3 cm, with total tumor diameter up to 8 cm. A minimum observation period of 3 months after down-staging was required before OLT. Tumor down-staging was successful in 43 patients (70.5%). Thirty-five patients (57.4%) had received OLT, including two who had undergone live-donor liver transplantation. Treatment failure was observed in 18 patients (29.5%), primarily due to tumor progression. In the explant of 35 patients who underwent OLT, 13 had complete tumor necrosis, 17 met T2 criteria, and five exceeded T2 criteria. The Kaplan-Meier intention-to-treat survival at 1 and 4 years after down-staging were 87.5% and 69.3%, respectively. The 1-year and 4-year posttransplantation survival rates were 96.2% and 92.1%, respectively. No patient had HCC recurrence after a median posttransplantation follow-up of 25 months. The only factor predicting treatment failure was pretreatment alpha-fetoprotein >1,000 ng/mL.

CONCLUSION

Successful down-staging of HCC can be achieved in the majority of carefully selected patients and is associated with excellent posttransplantation outcome.

Organ donation and utilization in the United States, 1997-2006

Deceased organ donation has increased rapidly since 2002, coinciding with implementation of the Organ Donation Breakthrough Collaborative. The increase in donors has resulted in a corresponding increase in the numbers of kidney, liver, lung and intestinal transplants. While transplants for most organs have increased, discard and nonrecovery rates have not improved or have increased, resulting in a decrease in organs recovered per donor (ORPD) and organs transplanted per donor (OTPD). Thus, the expansion of the consent and recovery of incremental donors has frequently outpaced utilization. Meaningful increases in multicultural donation have been achieved, but donations continue to be lower than actual rates of transplantation and waiting list registrations for these groups. To counteract the decline in living donation, mechanisms such as paired donation and enhanced incentives to organ donation are being developed. Current efforts of the collaborative have focused on differentiating ORPD and OTPD targets by donor type (standard and expanded criteria donors and donors after cardiac death), utilization of the OPTN regional structure and enlisting centers to increase transplants to match increasing organ availability.

HIV-infected liver and kidney transplant recipients: 1- and 3-year outcomes

Improvements in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated mortality make it difficult to deny transplantation based upon futility. Outcomes in the current management era are unknown. This is a prospective series of liver or kidney transplant recipients with stable HIV disease. Eleven liver and 18 kidney transplant recipients were followed for a median of 3.4 years (IQR [interquartile range] 2.9-4.9). One- and 3-year liver recipients' survival was 91% and 64%, respectively; kidney recipients' survival was 94%. One- and 3-year liver graft survival was 82% and 64%, respectively; kidney graft survival was 83%. Kidney patient and graft survival were similar to the general transplant population, while liver survival was similar to the older population, based on 1999-2004 transplants in the national database. CD4+ T-cell counts and HIV RNA levels were stable; and there were two opportunistic infections (OI). The 1- and 3-year cumulative incidence (95% confidence intervals [CI]) of rejection episodes for kidney recipients was 52% (28-75%) and 70% (48-92%), respectively. Two-thirds of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients, but no patient with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, recurred. Good transplant and HIV-related outcomes among kidney transplant recipients, and reasonable outcomes among liver recipients suggest that transplantation is an option for selected HIV-infected patients cared for at centers with adequate expertise.

Laparoscopic nephrectomy, ex vivo partial nephrectomy followed by allograft renal transplantation

A shortage of available kidneys exists. Forty percent of patients with end stage renal disease wait more than 2 years for renal transplant. We report a case of a 22-year-old man who underwent laparoscopic radical nephrectomy for a 2-cm central renal mass. Ex vivo partial nephrectomy and renorraphy were performed. The reconstructed kidney was allotransplanted to a 62-year-old man with end stage renal disease. The recipient has excellent graft function. Imaging shows no evidence of recurrence or metastasis at 2 years' follow-up. Incidence and management of de novo renal cell carcinoma in renal allografts are reviewed.

Improvement in survival associated with adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation

BACKGROUND & AIMS

More than 2000 adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantations (LDLT) have been performed in the United States, yet the potential benefit to liver transplant candidates of undergoing LDLT compared with waiting for deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a survival benefit of adult LDLT.

METHODS

Adults with chronic liver disease who had a potential living donor evaluated from January 1998 to February 2003 at 9 university-based hospitals were analyzed. Starting at the time of a potential donor's evaluation, we compared mortality after LDLT to mortality among those who remained on the waiting list or received DDLT. Median follow-up was 4.4 years. Comparisons were made by hazard ratios (HR) adjusted for LDLT candidate characteristics at the time of donor evaluation.

RESULTS

Among 807 potential living donor recipients, 389 underwent LDLT, 249 underwent DDLT, 99 died without transplantation, and 70 were awaiting transplantation at last follow-up. Receipt of LDLT was associated with an adjusted mortality HR of 0.56 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.42-0.74; P < .001) relative to candidates who did not undergo LDLT. As centers gained greater experience (>20 LDLT), LDLT benefit was magnified, with a mortality HR of 0.35 (95% CI: 0.23-0.53; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Adult LDLT was associated with lower mortality than the alternative of waiting for DDLT. This reduction in mortality was magnified as centers gained experience with LDLT. This reduction in transplant candidate mortality must be balanced against the risks undertaken by the living donors themselves.

Long-term outcomes and late complications of laparoscopic nephrectomy with renal autotransplantation

PURPOSE

We report long-term outcomes and late complications after laparoscopic nephrectomy with autotransplantation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed clinical data on all patients who underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy with autotransplantation between July 2000 and March 2007. Late complications, ie greater than 6 months, that required surgical intervention were analyzed. Clinical outcomes in patients with primary ureteral stricture disease and oncological outcomes in patients with renal tumors were examined.

RESULTS

Indications for autotransplantation included complex ureteral stricture disease in 15 patients and renal malignancy in 4. Median age at surgery was 48 years (range 25 to 68). Median followup was 29 months. Of the 17 patients with greater than 6 months of followup late complications requiring surgical intervention occurred in 4. Transplant nephrectomy was required in 2 patients in the stricture group. Indications for nephrectomy were nonfunction complicated by pseudoaneurysm in 1 case and chronic loin pain in 1. Another patient had recurrent nephrolithiasis requiring percutaneous nephrolithotomy and in 1 a pseudoaneurysm was managed successfully by endovascular techniques. Two patients in the tumor group had disease progression, which was managed medically.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the complexity and severity of disease that necessitates renal autotransplantation, it is not surprising that additional treatments are required. Patients with primary stricture disease may be at increased risk for vascular aneurysm due to infection and/or inflammation. Tumor progression is possible after ex vivo tumor excision and autotransplantation, especially in patients requiring heroic measures to avoid or delay dialysis. Thus, careful patient selection and vigilant followup are mandatory.

Catheter-directed therapy for DVT after pancreas transplantation

INTRODUCTION

Iliac vein deep venous thrombosis (DVT) ipsilateral to the pancreas transplant can lead to severe leg edema and compromise graft function. Treatment modalities for iliac vein DVT in the pancreas transplant recipient are limited.

METHODS

Medical records of patients receiving pancreas transplants at a single center from November 1989 to July 2003 were reviewed retrospectively, identifying patients with iliac vein DVT. There were 287 pancreas transplants performed during this time. Pancreas transplantation in all recipients was performed in the right iliac fossa with the arterial supply consisting of a donor iliac artery Y interposition graft. Systemic venous drainage was to the iliac vein. Exocrine drainage was enteric or to the bladder.

RESULTS

Four (1.4%) cases of iliac DVT were identified. All patients manifested lower extremity edema ipsilateral to the pancreas transplant. DVT was detected by ultrasound on days 4, 5, 13, and 60 post-transplant. In all cases, the iliac vein caudad to the pancreatic venous anastomosis was noted to be stenotic. Management involved balloon dilatation and endovascular stent placement in one patient, thrombolysis with tissue plasma antigen (t-PA) followed by stent placement in one patient, and percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy in two patients. All patients had improvement in leg edema and two patients continue to have good pancreatic allograft function.

CONCLUSIONS

Iliac DVT is a rare complication of pancreas transplantation that usually develops in an area of stenosis caudad to the pancreatic venous anastomosis. Catheter-based treatment modalities with use of endovascular stents for treatment of underlying stenoses can serve as an adjunct in treating these complications.

Glutamine donor pretreatment in rat kidney transplants with severe preservation reperfusion injury

BACKGROUND

Glutamine (GLN) has been shown to confer cytoprotection by enhancing endogenous heat shock protein (HSP) expression. We hypothesized that GLN donor pretreatment protects rat renal grafts against severe preservation reperfusion injury (PRI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

GLN (0.75 g/kg) or saline was administered i.p. to male donor rats 24 h and 6 h before donor nephrectomy. Kidneys (n = 6/group) were cold-stored in UW solution for 40 h and transplanted into bilaterally nephrectomized syngeneic recipients. Grafts were removed after 24 h. Renal HSP 70 expression was determined by Western blotting. Graft function was assessed by serum creatinine. Renal cross sections were microscopically examined for acute tubular necrosis, apoptosis, tubular proliferation, and macrophage infiltration.

RESULTS

GLN donor pretreatment significantly increased intragraft HSP 70 expression. Serum creatinine was not different between groups: 2.6 +/- 0.2 mg/dL (saline) versus 2.7 +/- 0.5 mg/dL (GLN). Both treatment groups showed severe tubular damage with significantly less papillary necrosis in the GLN group (P < 0.05). GLN significantly reduced the number of apoptotic tubular cells in the cortex, medulla, and papilla (P < 0.001 versus saline). Postinjury tubular proliferation, measured by PCNA antigen expression, and intragraft macrophage infiltration was not influenced by GLN.

CONCLUSIONS

In rat renal grafts suffering severe PRI pharmacological preconditioning with GLN attenuates early structural damage, especially tubular cell apoptosis. Stimulation of renal HSP 70 expression could be an important mechanism of GLN-induced cytoprotection. Our findings may have implications for the treatment of delayed graft function in recipients of marginal donor kidneys.

Predicting Biliary Complications in Right Lobe Liver Transplant Recipients according to Distance between Donor's Bile Duct and Corresponding Hepatic Artery

PURPOSE

To retrospectively determine whether biliary complications in recipients of living-donor right lobe liver grafts can be predicted at pretransplantation donor computed tomography (CT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The human research committee approved this study. The requirement for informed consent was waived. Multi-detector row CT cholangiography and CT angiography were performed in 44 consecutive right lobe liver donors (25 men, 19 women; mean age, 37 years). When CT cholangiography in the donor demonstrated the right biliary anatomy (conventional or variant), the shortest distance between the right main (or second-order) hepatic artery and the corresponding right main (or second-order) bile duct was measured and compared with posttransplantation biliary complications in the transplant recipient by using generalized estimating equations.

RESULTS

In 22 transplant recipients with one right main duct-to-common duct anastomosis (ie, conventional donor anatomy), the distance between the donor's right main bile duct and hepatic artery generally was small (mean distance, 3.8 mm; range, 1-14 mm) and unrelated (P=.46) to biliary complications (n=6). In 22 recipients who required two second-order right duct anastomoses (ie, with variant donor anatomy), the distance between the donor's second-order duct and corresponding hepatic artery was more variable (mean distance, 6.6 mm; range, 1-32.5 mm), and biliary complications were significantly more common when this distance was 10 mm or greater (in eight of 13 ducts with conventional anatomy and four of 31 ducts with variant anatomy, P<.05).

CONCLUSION

Right lobe liver graft recipients who have variant right biliary anatomy and a second-order bile duct 10 mm or farther from the corresponding hepatic artery are at high risk for biliary complications, possibly because of a predisposition to ischemic injury.

End stage polycystic kidney disease: indications and timing of native nephrectomy relative to kidney transplantation

PURPOSE

We evaluated the indications for and outcome of pre-transplant, concomitant and post-transplant native nephrectomy in patients with end stage polycystic kidney disease (PCKD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The records of 32 patients were retrospectively reviewed using the electronic database at our institution.

RESULTS

Between January 1992 and December 2002, 171 patients with end stage PCKD received a kidney transplant at University of California-San Francisco. A total of 32 patients (18.7%) underwent pre-transplant (7, group 1), concomitant (16, group 2) or post-transplant (9, group 3) native nephrectomy. Of these patients 25 underwent bilateral nephrectomy. Median followup was 18 months. Indications for nephrectomy were hematuria, a renal mass and chronic pain in group 1, lack of space in group 2 and urinary tract infection in group 3. Mean operative time +/- SEM was 231 +/- 14, 370 +/- 24 and 208 +/- 14 minutes in groups 1 to 3, respectively (p = 0.001). Mean intraoperative blood loss was 533 +/- 105, 573 +/- 155 and 522 +/- 181 ml in groups 1 to 3, respectively (p not significant). Two group 2 patients required blood transfusions. Postoperative complications requiring surgical intervention included wound dehiscence in group 1 and abdominal bleeding in group 3. Mean hospital stay was comparable among groups 1 to 3 at 7 +/- 0.7, 8.6 +/- 1.2 and 6.3 +/- 0.6 days, respectively (p not significant). At 3 months mean serum creatinine was not significantly different between groups 2 and 3 at 1.3 +/- 0.1 and 1.5 +/- 0.2 mg/dl, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Unilateral or bilateral nephrectomy for PCKD at transplantation is safe in terms of postoperative patient morbidity and graft function. We perform concomitant native nephrectomy when indicated, preferably in recipients of living donor kidney transplants.

Effect of mycophenolate mofetil on rat kidney grafts with prolonged cold preservation

The impact of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) on initial renal transplant function is not well characterized. We tested how MMF may modulate graft function and survival in a syngeneic rat kidney transplantation model after prolonged cold preservation. Donor kidneys were preserved in University of Wisconsin for either 24 or 39 h prior to transplantation into nephrectomized rats. Recipients received MMF (20 mg/kg/day) or vehicle. Mycophenolic acid (MPA) blood concentrations were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. The inflammatory response, tubular epithelial proliferation, and histologic damage 3 days post-transplantation were assessed microscopically. In the 24 h cold storage (c.s.) group serum-creatinine was measured. In the 39 h c.s. group 1-week recipient survival was determined. After 24 h of c.s., recipient survival was 100%. The number of T-cell infiltrates was low and not influenced by MMF, whereas renal ED1+ cell infiltration was significantly suppressed by MMF. Tubular cell proliferation was enhanced by MMF. Serum-creatinine levels and renal histology were comparable between MMF and vehicle-treated animals. In the 39 h c.s. group, recipient survival was 20% in MMF-treated vs 90% in vehicle-treated animals (P=0.001). MMF effectively suppressed inflammatory cell infiltration and inhibited tubular cell proliferation. MMF-induced structural damage was most striking in the renal papilla. In rat kidney grafts with moderate preservation injury (24 h c.s.), MMF, given at an immunosuppressive dose, showed predominantly antiinflammatory effects without compromising graft function. In grafts with severe preservation injury (39 h c.s.), MMF caused irreversible structural damage and inhibited tubular cell regeneration resulting in renal failure.

A prospective study on downstaging of hepatocellular carcinoma prior to liver transplantation

In patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) exceeding conventional (T2) criteria for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), the feasibility and outcome following loco-regional therapy intended for tumor downstaging to meet T2 criteria for OLT are unknown. In this first prospective study on downstaging of HCC prior to OLT, the eligibility criteria for enrollment into a downstaging protocol included 1 lesion >5 cm and < or =8 cm, 2 or 3 lesions at least 1 >3 cm but < or =5 cm with total tumor diameter of < or =8 cm, or 4 or 5 nodules all < or =3 cm with total tumor diameter < or =8 cm. Patients were eligible for living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) if tumors were downstaged to within proposed University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) criteria.13 A minimum follow-up period of 3 months after downstaging was required before cadaveric OLT or LDLT, with imaging studies meeting criteria for successful downstaging. Among the 30 patients enrolled, 21 (70%) met criteria for successful downstaging, including 16 (53%) who had subsequently received OLT (2 with LDLT), and 9 patients (30%) were classified as treatment failures. In the explant of 16 patients who underwent OLT, 7 had complete tumor necrosis, 7 met T2 criteria, but 2 exceeded T2 criteria. No HCC recurrence was observed after a median follow-up of 16 months after OLT. The Kaplan-Meier intention-to-treat survival was 89.3 and 81.8% at 1 and 2 yr, respectively. In conclusion, successful tumor downstaging can be achieved in the majority of carefully selected patients, but longer follow-up is needed to further access the risk of HCC recurrence after OLT.

More than 500 consecutive laparoscopic donor nephrectomies without conversion or repeated surgery

HYPOTHESIS

Concern exists as to the safety of laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) compared with open donor nephrectomy. Reported complications of LDN include emergent conversion to an open procedure, repeated surgery for postoperative bleeding, and even death. We hypothesize that LDNs can be performed safely, with a complication rate comparable with that of open donor nephrectomies.

DESIGN

Case series and review of the literature.

SETTING

Tertiary care university hospital.

PATIENTS

Five hundred thirty kidney donors.

INTERVENTION

An LDN performed without hand assistance, with the kidney extracted through a low transverse incision.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Mean operative time, requirement for transfusion, intraoperative complications, and postoperative complications.

RESULTS

This series includes 84 right-sided donor nephrectomies, 86 donors with a body mass index greater than 30 (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters), and 91 donors with complex vascular anatomy. Mean donor age was 40 years (range, 18-73 years), and mean +/- SD operative time was 196 +/- 43 minutes. The only conversion occurred early in the series, and there have been 525 subsequent cases without the need for conversion or repeated surgery. There were no donor deaths. Five donors (0.9%) required perioperative blood transfusions. Overall complication rate was 6.4%, including 14 minor wound infections, 2 bowel injuries, 1 case of prolonged ileus, 3 splenic injuries, 2 bladder infections, 1 bladder injury, 1 case of rhabdomyolysis, 1 case of pneumonia, and 2 thromboembolic events.

CONCLUSION

This series demonstrates that LDN can be performed at least as safely as open donor nephrectomy, with minimal bleeding and few postoperative complications.

Outcomes of 385 adult-to-adult living donor liver transplant recipients: a report from the A2ALL Consortium

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to characterize the patient population with respect to patient selection, assess surgical morbidity and graft failures, and analyze the contribution of perioperative clinical factors to recipient outcome in adult living donor liver transplantation (ALDLT).

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA

Previous reports have been center-specific or from large databases lacking detailed variables. The Adult-to-Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation Cohort Study (A2ALL) represents the first detailed North American multicenter report of recipient risk and outcome aiming to characterize variables predictive of graft failure.

METHODS

Three hundred eighty-five ALDLT recipients transplanted at 9 centers were studied with analysis of over 35 donor, recipient, intraoperative, and postoperative variables. Cox regression models were used to examine the relationship of variables to the risk of graft failure.

RESULTS

Ninety-day and 1-year graft survival were 87% and 81%, respectively. Fifty-one (13.2%) grafts failed in the first 90 days. The most common causes of graft failure were vascular thrombosis, primary nonfunction, and sepsis. Biliary complications were common (30% early, 11% late). Older recipient age and length of cold ischemia were significant predictors of graft failure. Center experience greater than 20 ALDLT was associated with a significantly lower risk of graft failure. Recipient Model for End-stage Liver Disease score and graft size were not significant predictors.

CONCLUSIONS

This multicenter A2ALL experience provides evidence that ALDLT is a viable option for liver replacement. Older recipient age and prolonged cold ischemia time increase the risk of graft failure. Outcomes improve with increasing center experience.

H-NMR-based metabolic signatures of mild and severe ischemia/reperfusion injury in rat kidney transplants

BACKGROUND

Severe ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury is a risk factor for delayed graft function. Delayed graft function remains difficult to predict, and it currently relies primarily on serum creatinine (SCr), urine output, and occasionally on graft biopsy. (1)H-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) based metabolomics was used to establish IR-specific metabolic markers in both blood and kidney tissue. These markers were compared to SCr and graft histology.

METHODS

Male Lewis rats were used for kidney transplantation. Two cold ischemia (CI) groups (24- and 42-hour) and two transplantation groups [after 24 (TX24) and after 42 hours (TX42) of CI] were compared to a control group. Whole blood and kidney tissue were collected for further analysis.

RESULTS

SCr levels taken 24 hours after transplantation were 1.6 +/- 0.12 mg/dL (TX24) and 2.1 +/- 0.5 mg/dL (TX42), (P= n.s.). Histology samples revealed mild injury in the TX24 group and severe injury in the TX42 group. A significantly decreased level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and elevated levels of allantoin, a marker of oxidative stress, was found in the renal tissue. In the blood, both trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a marker of renal medullary injury, and allantoin were significantly increased. Allantoin levels were low in both the control and CI groups. Levels were significantly increased after reperfusion (control 0.02 +/- 0.03 micromol/mL, TX24 1.13 +/- 0.22, and TX42 1.89 +/- 0.38, P < 0.001), and correlated with cold ischemia time (r= 0.96) and TMAO (r= 0.94).

CONCLUSION

The (1)H-NMR metabolic profiles of both the mild and severe IR groups revealed significant changes consistent with graft histology, while the SCr did not.