The Interplay between Perioperative Oxidative Stress and Hepatic Dysfunction after Human Liver Resection: A Prospective Observational Pilot Study

Post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) remains the major contributor to death after liver resection. Oxidative stress is associated with postoperative complications, but its impact on liver function is unclear. This first in-human, prospective, single-center, observational pilot study evaluated perioperative oxidative stress and PHLF according to the ISGLS (International Study Group for Liver Surgery). Serum 8-isoprostane, 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), total antioxidative capacity, vitamins A and E, and intraoperative, sequential hepatic tissue 4-HNE and UCP2 (uncoupling protein 2) immunohistochemistry (IHC) were assessed. The interaction with known risk factors for PHLF and the predictive potential of oxidative stress markers were analyzed. Overall, 52 patients were included (69.2% major liver resection). Thirteen patients (25%) experienced PHLF, a major factor for 90-day mortality (23% vs. 0%; p = 0.013). Post-resection, pro-oxidative 8-isoprostane significantly increased (p = 0.038), while 4-HNE declined immediately (p < 0.001). Antioxidative markers showed patterns of consumption starting post-resection (p < 0.001). Liver tissue oxidative stress increased stepwise from biopsies taken after laparotomy to post-resection in situ liver and resection specimens (all p < 0.001). Cholangiocarcinoma patients demonstrated significantly higher serum and tissue oxidative stress levels at various timepoints, with consistently higher preoperative values in advanced tumor stages. Combining intraoperative, post-resection 4-HNE serum levels and in situ IHC early predicted PHLF with an AUC of 0.855 (63.6% vs. 0%; p < 0.001). This was also associated with grade B/C PHLF (36.4% vs. 0%; p = 0.021) and 90-day mortality (18.2% vs. 0%; p = 0.036). In conclusion, distinct patterns of perioperative oxidative stress levels occur in patients with liver dysfunction. Combining intraoperative serum and liver tissue markers predicts subsequent PHLF. Cholangiocarcinoma patients demonstrated pronounced systemic and hepatic oxidative stress, with increasing levels in advanced tumor stages, thus representing a worthwhile target for future exploratory and therapeutic studies.

Diverticulitis with coloenteric fistula mimicking gangrenous appendicitis with perityphlitic abscess. An uncommon presentation of a common disease - A case report

INTRODUCTION

Diverticulitis is a common gastrointestinal disease usually presenting with a typical clinical picture depending on the stage of the disease. In complicated cases, the clinical presentation may be untypical, thus delaying diagnosis and treatment.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

We present a case of a young patient who was initially treated for obscure intraabdominal abscesses presumably due to gangrenous appendicitis; however, intraoperative exploration revealed a normal appendix and a coloenteric fistula resulting from an unknown and untreated perforated diverticulitis.

DISCUSSION

A patient with a perityphlitic abscess was initially managed with primary non-operative management (NOM) in accordance with the current Jerusalem guidelines, but surgery was eventually necessary due to failure of NOM. Intraoperative findings revealed a sigmoido-ileal fistula, a rare but potentially detectable complication of diverticulitis through colonoscopy. This case highlights the challenges in diagnosing and treating common surgical diseases with uncommon clinical presentations, emphasizing the importance of a detailed patient history and not relying solely on imaging studies.

CONCLUSION

Intraabdominal abscesses require prompt treatment with non-operative management, while intestinal fistulae associated with diverticulitis are a rare consequence of chronic inflammation, often asymptomatic and often detected incidentally during surgery. In most cases simple fistulous tract resection is usually sufficient as first line therapy.

Multi-omic Characterization of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Relates CXCR4 mRNA Expression Levels to Potential Clinical Targets

PURPOSE

Chemokines are essential for immune cell trafficking and are considered to have a major impact on the composition of the tumor microenvironment. CX-chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) is associated with poor differentiation, metastasis, and prognosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This study provides a comprehensive molecular portrait of PDAC according to CXCR4 mRNA expression levels.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

The Cancer Genome Atlas database was used to explore molecular and immunologic features associated with CXCR4 mRNA expression in PDAC. A large real-word dataset (n = 3,647) served for validation and further exploratory analyses. Single-cell RNA analyses on a publicly available dataset and in-house multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) experiments were performed to elaborate cellular localization of CXCR4.

RESULTS

High CXCR4 mRNA expression (CXCR4high) was associated with increased infiltration of regulatory T cells, CD8+ T cells, and macrophages, and upregulation of several immune-related genes, including immune checkpoint transcripts (e.g., TIGIT, CD274, PDCD1). Analysis of the validation cohort confirmed the CXCR4-dependent immunologic TME composition in PDAC irrespective of microsatellite instability-high/mismatch repair-deficient or tumor mutational burden. Single-cell RNA analysis and mIF revealed that CXCR4 was mainly expressed by macrophages and T-cell subsets. Clinical relevance of our finding is supported by an improved survival of CXCR4high PDAC.

CONCLUSIONS

High intratumoral CXCR4 mRNA expression is linked to a T cell- and macrophage-rich PDAC phenotype with high expression of inhibitory immune checkpoints. Thus, our findings might serve as a rationale to investigate CXCR4 as a predictive biomarker in patients with PDAC undergoing immune checkpoint inhibition.

Perfusate Enzymes and Platelets Indicate Early Allograft Dysfunction After Transplantation of Normothermically Preserved Livers

BACKGROUND

Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) has become a clinically established tool to preserve livers in a near-physiological environment. However, little is known about the predictive value of perfusate parameters toward the outcomes after transplantation.

METHODS

Fifty-five consecutive NMP livers between 2018 and 2019 were included. All of the livers were perfused on the OrganOx metra device according to an institutional protocol. Transplant and perfusion data were collected prospectively.

RESULTS

Forty-five livers were transplanted after NMP. Five livers stem from donors after circulatory death and 31 (68.9%) from extended criteria donors. Mean (SD) cold ischemia time was 6.4 (2.3) h; mean (SD) total preservation time was 21.4 (7.1) h. Early allograft dysfunction (EAD) occurred in 13 of 45 (28.9%) patients. Perfusate aspartate aminotransferase (P = 0.008), alanine aminotransferase (P = 0.006), lactate dehydrogenase (P = 0.007) and their development over time, alkaline phosphatase (P = 0.013), and sodium (P = 0.016) correlated with EAD. Number of perfusate platelets correlated with cold ischemia time duration and were indicative for the occurrence of EAD. Moreover, von Willebrand Factor antigen was significantly higher in perfusates of EAD livers (P < 0.001), and Δ von Willebrand factor antigen correlated with EAD. Although perfusate lactate and glucose had no predictive value, EAD was more likely to occur in livers with lower perfusate pH (P = 0.008). ΔPerfusate alkaline phosphatase, Δperfusate aspartate aminotransferase, Δperfusate alanine aminotransferase, and Δperfusate lactate dehydrogenase correlated closely with model for early allograft function but not liver graft assessment following transplantation risk score. Bile parameters correlated with extended criteria donor and donor risk index.

CONCLUSIONS

Biomarker assessment during NMP may help to predict EAD after liver transplantation. The increase of transaminases and lactate dehydrogenase over time as well as platelets and vWF antigen are important factors indicative for EAD.

Forty-eight hours of normothermic kidney preservation applying urine recirculation

Kidney transplantation is limited due to the organ scarcity and the large discrepancy between transplantable organs and patients on the waiting list. Ex-situ normothermic kidney preservation has been studied extensively as a tool to enlarge the donor pool and to enable viability assessment. Urine recirculation, for volume control, was applied to perfuse a discarded human kidney for 48 hours. Long-term kidney NMP was feasible under stable hemodynamic conditions with a physiological acid-base-balance and an intact histological morphology of the organ.

OMIP 077: Definition of all principal human leukocyte populations using a broadly applicable 14-color panel

This Optimized Multicolor Immunofluorescence Panel was designed to identify and quantify all principal leukocyte populations in human blood using a minimum number of markers. We achieved this goal using a carefully selected combination of 14 surface markers compatible with standard flow cytometric instruments and accessible to a particularly large research community. Optimized for use in whole blood, this panel allows polymorphonuclear cell identification, supports live cell recovery, and is well‐suited for absolute cell counting applications in the original in vivo volume. Panel performance and the separation of populations are high, and virtually no cells remain undefined after gating. Besides the identification of neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, T cells, natural killer cells, B cells, plasma cells, monocytes, myeloid dendritic cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells, this panel also covers progenitor cells and may therefore be attractive for stem cell researchers. Envisioned applications of this panel include immune monitoring within clinical trials, initial discovery to inform subset‐targeted panels, and clinical diagnostics. In summary, this panel offers a broadly applicable platform for immune cell identification, quantification and characterization in human samples, particularly whole blood.

Static cold storage compared with normothermic machine perfusion of the liver and effect on ischaemic-type biliary lesions after transplantation: a propensity score-matched study

BACKGROUND

Given the susceptibility of organs to ischaemic injury, alternative preservation methods to static cold storage (SCS), such as normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) are emerging. The aim of this study was to perform a comparison between NMP and SCS in liver transplantation with particular attention to bile duct lesions.

METHODS

The outcomes of 59 consecutive NMP-preserved donor livers were compared in a 1 : 1 propensity score-matched fashion to SCS control livers. Postoperative complications, patient survival, graft survival and bile duct lesions were analysed.

RESULTS

While patients were matched for cold ischaemia time, the total preservation time was significantly longer in the NMP group (21 h versus 7 h, P < 0.001). Patient and graft survival rates at 1 year were 81 versus 82 per cent (P = 0.347) and 81 versus 79 per cent (P = 0.784) in the NMP and SCS groups, respectively. The postoperative complication rate was comparable (P = 0.086); 37 per cent NMP versus 34 per cent SCS patients had a Clavien-Dindo grade IIIb or above complication. There was no difference in early (30 days or less) (NMP 22 versus SCS 19 per cent, P = 0.647) and late (more than 30 days) (NMP 27 versus SCS 36 per cent, P = 0.321) biliary complications. However, NMP-preserved livers developed significantly fewer ischaemic-type bile duct lesions (NMP 3 versus SCS 14 per cent, P = 0.047).

CONCLUSION

The use of NMP allowed for a significantly prolonged organ preservation with a lower rate of observed ischaemic-type bile duct lesions.

Management of Asymptomatic Sporadic Nonfunctioning Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (ASPEN) ≤2 cm: Study Protocol for a Prospective Observational Study

Introduction: The optimal treatment for small, asymptomatic, nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (NF-PanNEN) is still controversial. European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) guidelines recommend a watchful strategy for asymptomatic NF-PanNEN <2 cm of diameter. Several retrospective series demonstrated that a non-operative management is safe and feasible, but no prospective studies are available. Aim of the ASPEN study is to evaluate the optimal management of asymptomatic NF-PanNEN ≤2 cm comparing active surveillance and surgery.

Methods: ASPEN is a prospective international observational multicentric cohort study supported by ENETS. The study is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov with the identification code NCT03084770. Based on the incidence of NF-PanNEN the number of expected patients to be enrolled in the ASPEN study is 1,000 during the study period (2017–2022). Primary endpoint is disease/progression-free survival, defined as the time from study enrolment to the first evidence of progression (active surveillance group) or recurrence of disease (surgery group) or death from disease. Inclusion criteria are: age >18 years, the presence of asymptomatic sporadic NF-PanNEN ≤2 cm proven by a positive fine-needle aspiration (FNA) or by the presence of a measurable nodule on high-quality imaging techniques that is positive at ⁶⁸Gallium DOTATOC-PET scan.

Conclusion: The ASPEN study is designed to investigate if an active surveillance of asymptomatic NF-PanNEN ≤2 cm is safe as compared to surgical approach.

Sex differences in disease presentation, surgical and oncological outcome of liver resection for primary and metastatic liver tumors-A retrospective multicenter study

Background

Sex differences are becoming of rising interest in many fields of medicine. It remains unknown whether sex has a role in postoperative and long-term outcome after hepatic resection (HR). The aim of this study was to investigate sex differences in disease presentation, surgical and oncological outcome after curative HR.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of 1010 patients who underwent HR between 2005 and 2018 at two tertiary hospitals in Austria. Demographics and survival data were obtained from a prospectively maintained database. Univariate analysis was used to identify sex differences for the entire cohort and for sub-cohorts. Disease-free- and overall survival was assessed by the Kaplan-Meier estimate and results were compared by log-rank tests.

Results

436 females and 574 males were analyzed. Women were younger (p<0.001), had less liver cirrhosis (p<0.001), cardiac comorbidities (p<0.001), diabetes (28 (p<0.001) and obesity (p<0.001). Type of HR and surgical management did not vary by sex. Ninety-day morbidity (p = 0.179) and -mortality (p = 0.888) were comparable. In patients with malignant disease, no differences in disease-free- and overall survival was observed, neither for the entire cohort nor for the subgroups according to tumor entity or type of resection. Only in HCC patients, females showed an inferior OS (p = 0.029).

Conclusion

This study delivers new insights on the impact of sex differences in liver surgery. Despite the fact that male patients have a higher incidence of preoperative morbidities, we did not observe specific disparities in terms of immediate postoperative as well as long term oncological outcome between sexes.

The prognostic value of Presepsin for postoperative complications following pancreatic resection: A prospective study

Background

Presepsin is involved in binding lipopolysaccharides and previous studies have confirmed its value as a marker for early diagnosis and prediction of severity in sepsis. Comparable studies assessing the predictive potential regarding postoperative complications and mortality following pancreatic resection are lacking.

Methods

This prospective study included 70 patients undergoing pancreatic resection from December 2017 until May 2019. Presepsin was measured preoperatively, on postoperative day 1, 3 and 8 (POD1/3/8) and correlated with the clinical course and mortality.

Results

Severe complications (Clavien-Dindo ≥3a) occurred in 28 patients (40%), postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) grade B/C occurred in 20 patients (28.6%), infectious complications in 28 (40%), and four patients (5.7%) died during hospital stay. Presepsin levels at any timepoint did not correlate with further development of postoperative complications or in-hospital mortality whereas CRP levels on postoperative day (POD) 3 were significantly associated with clinically relevant POPF (AUC 0.664, 95%CI 0.528–0.800; p = 0.033). Preoperative Presepsin levels as well as Presepsin on POD1 were significantly elevated in patients with malignant compared to benign underlying disease (299pg/ml vs. 174pg/ml and 693.5pg/ml vs. 294pg/ml; p = 0.009 and 0.013, respectively).

Conclusion

In our cohort, Presepsin was not eligible to predict the postoperative course following pancreatic resection. However, Presepsin levels were significantly elevated in patients with malignant disease, this finding warrants further investigation.

Early Post-Operative Pancreatitis and Systemic Inflammatory Response Assessed by Serum Lipase and IL-6 Predict Pancreatic Fistula

Background

Post-operative pancreatic fistula (POPF) remains a critical complication after pancreatic resection. This prospective pilot study evaluates perioperative markers of pancreatitis and systemic inflammation to predict clinically relevant grade B/C-POPF (CR-POPF).

Methods

All patients undergoing pancreatic resection from December 2017 to April 2019 were prospectively enrolled. Surgical procedures and outcomes were correlated with perioperative blood markers. ROC analysis was performed to assess their predictive value for CR-POPF. Cut-offs were calculated with the Youden index.

Results

In total, 70 patients were analysed (43 pancreatoduodenectomies and 27 distal pancreatectomies). In-hospital/90-d mortality and morbidity were 5.7/7.1% (n = 4/n = 5) and 75.7% (n = 53). Major complications (Clavien–Dindo ≥ 3a) occurred in 28 (40.0%) patients, CR-POPF in 20 (28.6%) patients. Serum lipase (cut-off > 51U/L) and IL-6 (> 56.5 ng/l) on POD3 were significant predictors for CR-POPF (AUC = 0.799, 95%-CI 0.686–0.912 and AUC = 0.784, 95%-CI 0.668–0.900; combined AUC = 0.858, 95%-CI 0.758–0.958; all p < 0.001). Patients with both or one factor(s) above cut-off more frequently developed CR-POPF than cases without (100 vs. 50% vs. 7.5%, p < 0.001). This also applied for overall and severe complications (p = 0.013 and p = 0.009).

Conclusions

Post-operative pancreatitis and inflammatory response are major determinants for development of POPF. A combination of serum lipase and IL-6 on POD3 is a highly significant early predictor of CR-POPF and overall complications, potentially guiding patient management.

Clinical trial registration

The study protocol was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04294797)

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s00268-020-05768-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Dealing With Liver Transplantation during Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: Normothermic Machine Perfusion Enables for Donor, Organ, and Recipient Assessment: A Case Report

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed life on a global scale. The numbers of transplantations have plummeted as a result of fear of disease transmission, recipient coronavirus disease 2019 infection, priority shift, and resource limitations. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) complicates transplantation because donor testing, (re)allocation of limited resources, and recipient testing may exceed permissible ischemia times.

Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) helps safely prolong liver preservation up to 38 hours. Additional time is essential under the current circumstances. Here we present the case of a 29-year-old liver transplant recipient in whom prolonged liver preservation required for SARS-CoV-2 screening was accomplished through NMP. Donor and recipient test results for SARS-CoV-2 were negative, and intensive care unit capacity was eventually available. The surgical procedure and postoperative course were uneventful.

NMP can extend preservation times in liver transplantation while awaiting SARS-CoV-2 test results and available intensive care unit capacity.

Outcomes of pancreas retransplantation in patients with pancreas graft failure

Background

Pancreas retransplantation is still a controversial option after loss of a pancreatic graft. This article describes the experience of pancreas retransplantation at a high‐volume centre.

Methods

This was a retrospective observational study of all pancreas retransplantations performed in a single centre between 1997 and 2013. Pancreatic graft loss was defined by the return to insulin dependence. Risk factors for graft loss as well as patient and graft survival were analysed using logistic and time‐to‐event regression models.

Results

Of 409 pancreas transplantations undertaken, 52 (12·7 per cent) were identified as pancreas retransplantations. After a median follow‐up of 65·0 (range 0·8–174·3) months, 1‐ and 5‐year graft survival rates were 79 and 69 per cent respectively, and 1‐ and 5‐year patient survival rates were 96 and 89 per cent. During the entire follow‐up, 22 grafts (42 per cent) were lost. Patient survival was not associated with any of the donor‐ or recipient‐related factors investigated. Five‐year graft survival was better after simultaneous kidney–pancreas retransplantation than pancreas retransplantation alone: 80 per cent (16 of 20) versus 63 per cent (20 of 32) (P = 0·226). Acute rejection (odds ratio 4·49, 95 per cent c.i. 1·59 to 12·68; P = 0·005) and early surgical complications (OR 3·29, 1·09 to 9·99, P = 0·035) were identified as factors with an independent negative effect on graft survival.

Conclusion

Pancreas retransplantation may be considered for patients whose previous graft has failed.

Good outcome in selected patients

Reliability of constant-load treadmill testing in patients with intermittent claudication

AIM

Constant-load treadmill testing is frequently used to estimate walking ability of patients with peripheral arterial disease and to assess changes in functional capacity following therapeutic interventions or through disease progression. The value of this test has frequently been disputed based on doubts concerning its reproducibility. The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability of treadmill testing at a speed of 3 km/h and a constant inclination of 12%.

METHODS

Sixty-eight patients with stable peripheral arterial disease who were familiar with treadmill testing underwent two sessions of walking exercise at 3 km/h and 12% inclination within three weeks. Initial claudication distance (ICD) and maximum walking distance (MWD) on the treadmill as well as reported walking distances on level ground at individual speed were recorded.

RESULTS

Correlation coefficients of 0.8 and within-subject variation coefficients of 15% for ICD and 13% for MWD demonstrated low variability of walking distances between visits. No learning effects were observed. Intra-class correlation coefficients of 0.78 for ICD and 0.83 for MWD proved good reproducibility of treadmill testing. Correlation of measured and reported walking distances was poor.

CONCLUSION

Constant-load treadmill testing at 3km/h and 12% inclination is a well reproducible method to investigate walking capacity of patients with stable intermittent claudication who are familiar with this test method. From treadmill walking distances, no conclusions should be drawn concerning the actual walking range of the patient.