Oxymatrine induces human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells apoptosis via regulating expression of Bcl-2 and IAP families, and releasing of cytochrome c

BACKGROUND

Oxymatrine, an isolated extract from traditional Chinese herb Sophora Flavescens Ait, has been traditionally used for therapy of anti-hepatitis B virus, anti-inflammation and anti-anaphylaxis. The present study was to investigate the anti-cancer effect of oxymatrine on human pancreatic cancer PANC-1 cells, and its possible molecular mechanism.

METHODS

The effect of oxymatrine on the viability and apoptosis was examined by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium and flow cytometry analysis. The expression of Bax, Bcl-2, Bcl-x (L/S), Bid, Bad, HIAP-1, HIAP-2, XIAP, NAIP, Livin and Survivin genes was accessed by RT-PCR. The levels of cytochrome c and caspase 3 protein were assessed by Western blotting.

RESULTS

Oxymatrine inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis of PANC-1 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. This was accompanied by down-regulated expression of Livin and Survivin genes while the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was upregulated. Furthermore, oxymatrine treatment led to the release of cytochrome c and activation of caspase-3 proteins.

CONCLUSION

Oxymatrine can induce apoptotic cell death of human pancreatic cancer, which might be attributed to the regulation of Bcl-2 and IAP families, release of mitochondrial cytochrome c and activation of caspase-3.

Association between donor and recipient TCF7L2 gene polymorphisms and the risk of new-onset diabetes mellitus after liver transplantation in a Han Chinese population

BACKGROUNDS & AIMS

New-onset diabetes mellitus (NODM) is a frequent and serious complication arising after liver transplantation (LT). Transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) polymorphisms have been reported to strongly associate with type 2 diabetes. In addition, the donor liver plays a vital role in regulating blood glucose levels. In this study, we aim at evaluating the association between donor and recipient TCF7L2 gene polymorphisms with NODM after LT.

METHODS

A total of 125 patients undergoing primary LT, without a history of diabetes were included. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs290487, rs7903146, rs11196205, and rs12255372), closely associated with type 2 diabetes in the Eastern Asia population, were genotyped and analyzed.

RESULTS

Both donor and recipient rs290487 polymorphisms (CC vs. TT genotype) were found to be significantly associated with NODM. In multivariate analysis, donor rs290487 genetic variation (OR = 2.172 per each C allele, p = 0.015), blood tacrolimus levels at 1 month post-LT >10 ng/ml (OR = 3.264, p = 0.017), and recipient age >55 years (OR = 2.638, p = 0.043) were identified as independent risk factors of NODM. Furthermore, donor rs290487 CC genotype could predict a high probability (>40%) of the onset of NODM. Predictive model containing donor rs290487 polymorphism showed a significantly higher prognostic ability on NODM than the model with only clinical parameters (p = 0.031).

CONCLUSIONS

Donor TCF7L2 rs290487 polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of NODM after LT and has a potential clinical value for the prediction of NODM.

The prognostic relevance of primary tumor location in patients undergoing resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Different clinical presentations and prognoses have been implied between pancreatic head and body/tail cancers. We aimed to identify the prognostic relevance of primary tumor location in patients undergoing resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Thirty-two pairs of patients with strictly matched early stage (II) pancreatic head and body/tail cancers were enrolled. The molecular feature of the two subtypes of PDAC was assessed on the level of miRNA expression. Out of the 64 patients, 34 (53.1%) had tumor recurrence after radical resection during the follow-up period (2.3 ± 0.8 years). Both overall and tumor-free survival were significantly higher in the patients with pancreatic body/tail cancer compared with those with pancreatic head cancer. Patient age and tumor location were the independent prognostic factors for tumor recurrence. A remarkably lower expression of miR-501-3p and higher expression of miR-375 were found and were further verified in pancreatic body/tail cancer tissues compared with pancreatic head cancer tissues. The low expression of miR-501-3p was significantly associated with a low risk of tumor recurrence. Both, subcutaneous and orthotopic PDAC mouse models presented highly invasive tumor phenotypes upon up-regulated miR-501-3p expression. An in vitro study showed that miR-501-3p promoted the invasiveness of PDAC cells possibly via suppressing E-cadherin. In summary, at resectable early stage, pancreatic body/tail cancer presents a less malignant phenotype associated with deregulation of miR-501-3p compared with pancreatic head cancer.

New-onset diabetes after liver transplantation: a national report from China Liver Transplant Registry

BACKGROUND/AIMS

New-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT) is a serious complication of liver transplantation (LT). The present study aimed to investigate the risk factors of NODAT by a national survey using the China Liver Transplant Registry database.

PATIENTS

A total of 10 204 non-pre-existing diabetic patients undergone primary LT between January 2000 and December 2013 were included. Risk factors were identified by logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

NODAT occurred in 24.3% of liver recipients with a median follow-up time of 2.6 years, and was associated with a significantly lower patient survival. NODAT increased not only diabetes related complications (e.g., infection, kidney failure) but also biliary stricture and cholangitis. NODAT patients who received hypoglycaemic treatment had a worse prognosis and a higher hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence compared with those without treatment. New-onset hyperglycaemia (<30 days) was the major predictor of NODAT. Other risk factors included cold ischaemia time >9 h, recipient age >50 years, body mass index >25 kg/m(2) , other hepatitis (mainly hepatitis C), post-transplant intensive care unit stay >15 days, cytomegalovirus infection and corticosteroid at discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of NODAT in China is similar to that in Western countries. However, the NODAT-related complications are more common and severer in China compared with those in Western countries. The major risk factors are different.

Downgrading MELD improves the outcomes after liver transplantation in patients with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure

BACKGROUND

High score of model for end-stage liver diseases (MELD) before liver transplantation (LT) indicates poor prognosis. Artificial liver support system (ALSS) has been proved to effectively improve liver and kidney functions, and thus reduce the MELD score. We aim to evaluate whether downgrading MELD score could improve patient survival after LT.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

One hundred and twenty-six LT candidates with acute-on-chronic hepatitis B liver failure and MELD score ≥30 were included in this prospective study. Of the 126 patients, 42 received emergency LT within 72 h (ELT group) and the other 84 were given ALSS as salvage treatment. Of the 84 patients, 33 were found to have reduced MELD score (<30) on the day of LT (DGM group), 51 underwent LT with persistent high MELD score (N-DGM group). The median waiting time for a donor was 10 for DGM group and 9.5 days for N-DGM group. In N-DGM group there is a significantly higher overall mortality (43.1%) than that in ELT group (16.7%) and DGM group (15.2%). N-DGM (vs. ECT and DGM) was the only independent risk factor of overall mortality (P = 0.003). Age >40 years and the interval from last ALSS to LT >48 h were independent negative influence factors of downgrading MELD.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

Downgrading MELD for liver transplant candidates with MELD score ≥30 was effective in improving patient prognosis. An appropriate ALSS treatment within 48 h prior to LT is potentially beneficial.

The diversity between pancreatic head and body/tail cancers: clinical parameters and in vitro models

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) can be divided into head, body and tail cancers according to the anatomy. Distinctions in tissue composition, vascularization and innervations have been clearly identified between the head and body/tail of the pancreas both in embryological development and in histopathology. To understand the postulated genotype difference, we present comprehensive information on two PDAC cell lines as typical representatives originating from pancreatic head and body/tail cancers, respectively.

DATA SOURCE

In the present review, we compare the difference between pancreatic head and body/tail cancers regarding clinical parameters and introducing an in vitro model.

RESULTS

Increasing evidence has shown that tumors at different locations (head vs body/tail) display different clinical presentation (e.g. incidence, symptom), treatment efficiency (e.g. surgery, chemotherapy) and thus patient prognosis. However, the genetic or molecular diversity (e.g. mutations, microRNA) between the two subtypes of PDAC has not been elucidated so far. They present different chemo- and/or radio-resistance, extracellular matrix adhesion and invasiveness, as well as genetic profiles.

CONCLUSION

Genetic and tumor biological diversity exists in PDAC according to the tumor localization.

The tacrolimus-induced glucose homeostasis imbalance in terms of the liver: From bench to bedside

Tacrolimus (TAC), the mainstay of maintenance immunosuppressive agents, plays a crucial role in new-onset diabetes after transplant (NODAT). Previous studies investigating the diabetogenic effects of TAC have focused on the β cells of islets. In this study, we found that TAC contributed to NODAT through directly affecting hepatic metabolic homeostasis. In mice, TAC-induced hypoglycemia rather than hyperglycemia during starvation via suppressing gluconeogenetic genes, suggesting the limitation of fasting blood glucose in the diagnosis of NODAT. In addition, TAC caused hepatic insulin resistance and triglyceride accumulation through insulin receptor substrate (IRS)2/AKT and sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP1) signaling, respectively. Furthermore, we found a pivotal role of CREB-regulated transcription coactivator 2 (CRTC2) in TAC-induced metabolic disorders. The restoration of hepatic CRTC2 alleviated the metabolic disorders through its downstream molecules (eg, PCK1, IRS2, and SREBP1). Consistent with the findings from bench, low CRTC2 expression in graft hepatocytes was an independent risk factor for NODAT (odds ratio = 2.692, P = .023, n = 135). Integrating grafts' CRTC2 score into the clinical model could significantly increase the predictive capacity (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.71 vs 0.79, P = .048). Taken together, in addition to its impact on pancreatic cells, TAC induces "hematogenous diabetes" via CRTC2 signaling. Liver-targeted management may be of help to prevent or heal TAC-associated diabetes.

The Origin of New-Onset Diabetes After Liver Transplantation: Liver, Islets, or Gut?

New-onset diabetes is a frequent complication after solid organ transplantation. Although a number of common factors are associated with the disease, including recipient age, body mass index, hepatitis C infection, and use of immunosuppressive drugs, new-onset diabetes after liver transplantation (NODALT) has the following unique aspects and thus needs to be considered its own entity. First, a liver graft becomes the patient's primary metabolic regulator after liver transplantation, but this would not be the case for kidney or other grafts. The metabolic states, as well as the genetics of the graft, play crucial roles in the development of NODALT. Second, dysfunction of the islets of Langerhans is common in cirrhotic patients and would be exacerbated by immunosuppressive agents, particularly calcineurin inhibitors. On the other hand, minimized immunosuppressive protocols have been widely advocated in liver transplantation because of liver tolerance (immune privilege). Third and last, through the "gut-liver axis," graft function is closely linked to gut microbiota, which is now considered an important metabolic organ and known to independently influence the host's metabolic homeostasis. Liver transplant recipients present with specific gut microbiota that may be prone to trigger metabolic disorders. In this review, we proposed 3 possible sites for the origin of NODALT, which are liver, islets, and gut, to help elucidate the underlying mechanism of NODALT.

Alternative definition of acute kidney injury following liver transplantation: based on serum creatinine and cystatin C levels

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to verify the estimation and the predictive abilities of serum creatinine (Cr), serum cystatin C (Cys C), and related formulas for acute kidney injury (AKI).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirty patients who underwent cadaveric donor liver transplantation were enrolled in this prospective study. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was assessed by the 99mTc DTPA clearance method and estimated by Cr-predicted clearances (Cockcroft-Gault method [CG] and abbreviated Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation [MDRD]) as well as by 3 other Cys C-based formulas (Hoek, Filler, and Larsson). AKI was confirmed as GFR<80 mL/min/1.73 m2 in the first posttransplantation week.

RESULTS

GFR was significantly correlated with reciprocal Cr, reciprocal Cys C, and the 5 formulas (P<.001 for all). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area of Cys C was larger than that of Cr (.937 vs .794, P<.05). ROC area of Hoek, or Filler or Larsson was also larger than that of CG or MDRD (.937, .935, .937 vs .802, .849, P<.05 for all). ROC analysis showed the cutoff values were 1.0 mg/dL for Cr and 1.57 mg/L for Cys C. Hoek, Filler, and Larsson equations all underestimated AKI; their optimal cutoff values should be adjusted to 47, 56, and 44 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Cys C is a better predictor of AKI than Cr. A value of more than 1.57 mg/L might be considered a new definition of AKI.

Impact of preexisting diabetes mellitus on outcome after liver transplantation in patients with hepatitis B virus-related liver disease

BACKGROUND

Preexisting diabetes mellitus (DM) has been reported to have an adverse consequence on patient prognosis after liver transplantation in the West. So far, there are few reports on the effect of preexisting DM on outcome of liver transplant recipients with HBV infection.

AIMS

We aimed to examine the impact of preexisting DM on post-transplant outcome in Chinese patients with HBV-related liver disease.

METHODS

The post-transplant morbidities and patient survival were compared between 48 diabetes patients (DM group) and 96 non-diabetes patients (control group) matched for age, gender, primary disease and model for end-stage liver diseases score. The DM group was further divided into hyperglycemia patients (fasting blood glucose >8.0 mmol/L, n = 22) and non-hyperglycemia patients (fasting blood glucose ≤8.0 mmol/L, n = 26).

RESULTS

Patient characteristics were comparable between both groups, except a higher incidence of hepatic encephalopathy in the DM group than that in the control group (22.9% vs. 10.4%, P = 0.045). The incidences of post-transplant complications and patient survival did not differ significantly between the DM and control groups, or between non-hyperglycemia patients and their matched case controls. Hyperglycemia patients showed a higher incidence of post-transplant sepsis (18.2% vs. 2.3%, P = 0.039) and biliary complications (31.8% vs. 6.8%, P = 0.012) than their matched case controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Preexisting DM is not a contraindication for liver transplantation in patients with HBV-related liver disease. A tight control of blood glucose to a level of ≤8.0 mmol/L was necessary to reduce the risk of complications after liver transplantation.

Impacts of TCF7L2 gene polymorphisms on the susceptibility of hepatogenous diabetes and hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients

BACKGROUND

Hepatogenous diabetes (HD) occurs as a complication of cirrhosis. Whether genetic factors, rather than only liver damage, play roles in the development of HD is unknown. TCF7L2 gene has been reported to be associated with type 2 diabetes and also cancer risks. We aim to evaluate the impact of TCF7L2 gene on the susceptibility of HD and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a Chinese Han population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 367 adult liver transplant candidates with liver cirrhosis were included. Fifteen tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected from HapMap CHB database with a minor allele frequency of >0.2 and r(2) of >0.8. Another three SNPs were also chosen because of their close association with type 2 diabetes in East Asian.

RESULTS

Patients with HD presented significantly poorer liver function, higher incidence of cirrhotic complications and higher insulin resistance compared with non-HD patients. Three SNPs were differentially distributed between HD patients and non-HD patients. In multivariate logistic analysis, TCF7L2 rs290487 and rs6585194 polymorphisms were independently associated with HD after adjustment of clinical factors. The TCF7L2 rs290487 C/C variant homozygote showed much higher insulin resistance and significantly increased HD risk comparing with T/T and T/C genotypes, while the genetic variant of rs6585194 was protectively against HD. Three SNPs (rs290481, rs290487 and rs290489) located near the 3' end of TCF7L2 gene were associated with HCC risk with marginal significance. Patients carrying G-C-A haplotype had a significantly higher HCC risk than those with A-T-G.

CONCLUSIONS

TCF7L2 polymorphisms were associated with HD and maybe cancer risk as well. Further studies with large samples are needed to verify these results.

Predicting short-term survival after liver transplantation on eight score systems: a national report from China Liver Transplant Registry

To compare the performance of eight score systems (MELD, uMELD, MELD-Na. iMELD, UKELD, MELD-AS, CTP, and mCTP) in predicting the post-transplant mortality, we analyzed the data of 6,014 adult cirrhotic patients who underwent liver transplantation between January 2003 and December 2010 from the China Liver Transplant Registry database. In hepatitis B virus (HBV) group, MELD, uMELD and MELD-AS showed good predictive accuracies at 3-month mortality after liver transplantation; by comparison with other five models, MELD presented the best ability in predicting 3-month, 6-month and 1-year mortality, showing a significantly better predictive ability than UKELD and iMELD. In hepatitis C virus and Alcohol groups, the predictive ability did not differ significantly between MELD and other models. Patient survivals in different MELD categories were of statistically significant difference. Among patients with MELD score >35, a new prognostic model based on serum creatinine, need for hemodialysis and moderate ascites could identify the sickest one. In conclusion, MELD is superior to other score systems in predicting short-term post-transplant survival in patients with HBV-related liver disease. Among patients with MELD score >35, a new prognostic model can identify the sickest patients who should be excluded from waiting list to prevent wasteful transplantation.

Donor Graft MicroRNAs: A Newly Identified Player in the Development of New-onset Diabetes After Liver Transplantation

New-onset diabetes after liver transplantation (NODALT) is a frequent complication with an unfavorable outcome. We previously demonstrated a crucial link between donor graft genetics and the risk of NODALT. We selected 15 matched pairs of NODALT and non-NODALT liver recipients using propensity score matching analysis. The donor liver tissues were tested for the expression of 10 microRNAs (miRNAs) regulating human hepatic glucose homeostasis. The biological functions of potential target genes were predicted using gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Both miR-103 and miR-181a were significantly highly expressed in the NODALT group as compared to the non-NODALT group. The predicted target genes (e.g. Irs2, Pik3r1, Akt2, and Gsk3b) were involved in glucose import and the insulin signaling pathway. We also observed dysregulation of miRNAs (e.g. let-7, miR-26b, miR-145, and miR-183) in cultured human hepatocytes treated with tacrolimus or high glucose, the two independent risk factors of NODALT identified in this cohort. The hepatic miRNA profiles altered by tacrolimus or hyperglycemia were associated with insulin resistance and glucose homeostatic imbalance as revealed by enrichment analysis. The disease susceptibility miRNA expressive pattern could be imported directly from the donor and consolidated by the transplant factors.

Major influence of renal function on hyperlipidemia after living donor liver transplantation

AIM

To investigate the impact of renal and graft function on post-transplant hyperlipidemia (PTHL) in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).

METHODS

A total of 115 adult patients undergoing LDLT from January 2007 to May 2009 at a single center were enrolled. Data were collected and analyzed by the China Liver Transplant Registry retrospectively. PTHL was defined as serum triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dL or serum cholesterol ≥ 200 mg/dL or the need for pharmacologic treatment at the sixth month after LDLT. Early renal dysfunction (ERD) was defined as serum creatinine ≥ 2 mg/dL and/or the need for renal replacement therapy in the first post-transplant week.

RESULTS

In 115 eligible patients, the incidence of PTHL was 24.3%. Recipients with PTHL showed a higher incidence of post-transplant cardiovascular events compared to those without PTHL (17.9% vs 4.6%, P = 0.037). Serum creatinine showed significant positive correlations with total serum triglycerides, both at post-transplant month 1 and 3 (P < 0.01). Patients with ERD had much higher pre-transplant serum creatinine levels (P < 0.001) and longer duration of pre-transplant renal insufficiency (P < 0.001) than those without ERD. Pre-transplant serum creatinine, graft-to-recipient weight ratio, graft volume/standard liver volume ratio, body mass index (BMI) and ERD were identified as risk factors for PTHL by univariate analysis. Furthermore, ERD [odds ratio (OR) = 9.593, P < 0.001] and BMI (OR = 6.358, P = 0.002) were identified as independent risk factors for PTHL by multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION

Renal function is closely associated with the development of PTHL in LDLT. Post-transplant renal dysfunction, which mainly results from pre-transplant renal insufficiency, contributes to PTHL.

Donor PPARα Gene Polymorphisms Influence the Susceptibility to Glucose and Lipid Disorders in Liver Transplant Recipients: A Strobe-Compliant Observational Study

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) is an important regulator of glucose and lipid metabolism, and is predominantly expressed in the liver. We aimed to evaluate the effect of donor hepatic PPARα gene polymorphisms on the development of metabolic disorders following liver transplantation (LT).A total of 176 patients undergoing primary LT were included in this Review Board-approved study. Genomic DNA was extracted from fresh frozen donor liver tissues (biopsy specimens for pathological testing at surgery). Eight single nucleotide polymorphisms in the PPARα gene were chosen from either the HapMap CHB database or previous reports.The distribution of metabolic disorders differed significantly between the wild-type and variant genotypes of both the rs5767743 and rs5767700 loci (P < 0.05 for all). After an adjustment for other factors (body mass index and tacrolimus blood concentration), the rs5767743 genetic variant was found to be an independent protective factor (P = 0.005, odds ratio = 0.416 per C allele, 95% confidence interval  = 0.225-0.768). When compared with the wild-type genotype, the variant genotypes rs5767743 and rs5767700 correlated with significantly increased PPARα and CYP3A4 mRNA expression and lower tacrolimus trough concentration/dose ratios (P < 0.05 for all).Donor PPARα gene polymorphisms influence the susceptibility to metabolic disorders following LT and may also be associated with a fasten tacrolimus metabolism because of elevated CYP3A4 expression.

A new serum cystatin C-based equation for assessing glomerular filtration rate in liver transplantation

BACKGROUND

Cystatin C (CysC) has been identified to be an alternative marker of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), but no CysC-based equation has been developed for patients receiving liver transplantation.

METHODS

Serum CysC and (99m)Tc-DTPA clearance (true GFR) were measured simultaneously on post-transplant days 1, 4 and 7. A new equation was constructed based on an observation group of 30 patients and its predictive ability was compared with three other CysC-based equations (Hoek, Filler and Larsson) based on a validation group of 30 patients.

RESULTS

The new equation for calculating GFR was defined as 19.12+96.21x(1/CysC) and the derived GFR was estimated at 97.4+/-30.2 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and was close to the true GFR (96.8+/-32.8 mL/min/1.73 m(2)). Estimates of GFR by Hoek, Filler and Larsson formulas (61.4+/-25.4, 73.8+/-31.9 and 61.3+/-29.6mL/min/1.73 m(2), respectively) differed significantly from the true GFR. Correlation between the true GFR and all formulas showed no significant difference. Bias was neglectable for the new equation (mean difference: 0.6 mL/min/1.73 m(2)) but remarkable for the other three equations (mean difference: -22.9 to -35.4 mL/min/1.73 m(2)). Accuracy within 10%, 30% and 50% of the true GFR for the new equation (30.0%, 76.7% and 93.3%) was significantly higher than those of the other three equations (p<0.001 for all).

CONCLUSIONS

A new serum CysC-based equation was established in this study and it was shown to be accurate in estimating GFR after liver transplantation, compared to the formulas of Hoek, Filler and Larsson.

Development of models to predict early post-transplant recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma that also integrate the quality and characteristics of the liver graft: A national registry study in China

BACKGROUND

Donor characteristics and graft quality were recently reported to play an important role in the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation. Our aim was to establish a prognostic model by using both donor and recipient variables.

METHODS

Data of 1,010 adult patients (training/validation: 2/1) undergoing primary liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma were extracted from the China Liver Transplant Registry database and analyzed retrospectively. A multivariate competing risk regression model was developed and used to generate a nomogram predicting the likelihood of post-transplant hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence.

RESULTS

Of 673 patients in the training cohort, 70 (10.4%) had hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence with a median recurrence time of 6 months (interquartile range: 4-25 months). Cold ischemia time was the only independent donor prognostic factor for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence (hazard ratio = 2.234, P = .007). The optimal cutoff value was 12 hours when patients were grouped according to cold ischemia time at 2-hour intervals. Integrating cold ischemia time into the Milan criteria (liver transplantation candidate selection criteria) improved the accuracy for predicting hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence in both training and validation sets (P < .05). A nomogram composed of cold ischemia time, tumor burden, differentiation, and α-fetoprotein level proved to be accurate and reliable in predicting the likelihood of 1-year hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after liver transplantation. Additionally, donor anti-hepatitis B core antibody positivity, prolonged cold ischemia time, and anhepatic time were linked to the intrahepatic recurrence, whereas older donor age, prolonged donor warm ischemia time, cold ischemia time, and ABO incompatibility were relevant to the extrahepatic recurrence.

CONCLUSION

The graft quality integrated models exhibited considerable predictive accuracy in early hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence risk assessment. The identification of donor risks can further help understand the mechanism of different patterns of recurrence.