Low Serum Hepcidin Is Associated With Reduced Short-Term Survival in Adults With Acute Liver Failure

The liver has an important role in iron homeostasis through the synthesis of the serum transporter transferrin and the iron hormone hepcidin. The aim of this study was to analyze parameters of iron metabolism in a multicenter cohort of adult patients with acute liver failure (ALF) and in an acetaminophen (APAP)-induced ALF mouse model. A representative subset of 121 adults with ALF (including 66 APAP-related patients) had baseline serum samples tested for ferritin, transferrin, iron, and hepcidin. Outcomes at 3 weeks after enrollment were categorized as spontaneous survivor (SS) versus death/transplantation (NSS). Mice were assessed before (controls) and 4 and 18 hours after injection of 300 mg/kg APAP. Patients with ALF as well as APAP-treated mice displayed increased ferritin and diminished serum hepcidin and hepcidin/ferritin ratio. SS had lower iron (29.1% vs. 34.5 µmol/L; P < 0.05) and transferrin saturation (60.9% vs. 79.1%; P < 0.01), but higher hepcidin levels (8.2 vs. 2.7 ng/mL; P < 0.001) and hepcidin/ferritin ratio (0.0047 vs. 0.0009; P < 0.001) than NSS. In a multivariate analysis, a log-transformed hepcidin-containing model displayed similar prognostic power as the established Acute Liver Failure Study Group index (C-statistic 0.87 vs. 0.85) and was better than Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score (C-statistic 0.76). In mice, hepcidin levels inversely correlated with the surrogate of liver injury. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that several serum iron parameters significantly associate with 3-week outcomes in adults with ALF. Among them, hepcidin decreases early during experimental APAP-induced ALF, is an independent predictor and might be a useful component of future prognostic scores.

Acute Liver Failure due to Wilson Disease: Eight Years of the National Liver Transplant Program in Uruguay

INTRODUCTION AND AIM

Wilson's disease (WD) is an uncommon cause of acute liver failure (ALF). Our aim was to describe clinical features, diagnostic findings, treatments, and outcomes of patients with ALF due to WD.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Retrospective medical record reviews of all patients with ALF due to WD in eight years in Uruguay.

RESULTS

WD was the cause of six (15%) of thirty-nine ALF cases. All patients were females, with a mean age of 18 years. Four patients presented with hyperacute liver failure and two with acute failure. Jaundice was the main complaint of all patients. Mean total bilirubin (TB), alkaline phosphatase (AP), AST, and ALT were 27.5 mg/dL, 45.5 lU/l, 156 IU/L, and 51 IU/L, respectively. Ceruloplasmin levels were low in four patients, urinary cooper was high in four, and two had Kayser-Fleischer rings. All patients had Coombs-negative hemolytic anemia, acute kidney injury, histochemical identifiable copper, and advanced fibrosis on liver histology. The average MELD score was 36. All patients were treated with d-penicillamine and listed for urgent liver transplantation (LT). Prometheus® was performed in one patient. Three patients died: two without LT and one after LT. Three patients survived: one without LT (New Wilson Index<11) and two with LT. The referral time to the program and the total time (referral plus waiting list time) were longer for non-survivors than for survivors (14 vs. 3 days and 23 vs. 8 respectively).

CONCLUSION

All cases had typical clinical, analytical and histopathology characteristics. Early referral was determinant of prognosis.

Acute liver failure: A review for emergency physicians

INTRODUCTION

Acute liver failure (ALF) remains a high-risk clinical presentation, and many patients require emergency department (ED) management for complications and stabilization.

OBJECTIVE

This narrative review provides an evidence-based summary of the current data for the emergency medicine evaluation and management of ALF.

DISCUSSION

While ALF remains a rare clinical presentation, surveillance data suggest an overall incidence between 1 and 6 cases per million people every year, accounting for 6% of liver-related deaths and 7% of orthotopic liver transplants (OLT) in the U.S. The definition of ALF includes neurologic dysfunction, an international normalized ratio ≥ 1.5, no prior evidence of liver disease, and a disease course of ≤26 weeks, and can be further divided into hyperacute, acute, and subacute presentations. There are many underlying etiologies, including acetaminophen toxicity, drug induced liver injury, and hepatitis. Emergency physicians will be faced with several complications, including encephalopathy, coagulopathy, infectious processes, renal injury, and hemodynamic instability. Critical patients should be evaluated in the resuscitation bay, and consultation with the transplant team for appropriate patients improves patient outcomes. This review provides several guiding principles for management of acute complications. Using a pathophysiological-guided approach to the management of ALF associated complications is essential to optimizing patient care.

CONCLUSIONS

ALF remains a rare clinical presentation, but has significant morbidity and mortality. Physicians must rapidly diagnose these patients while evaluating for other diseases and complications. Early consultation with a transplantation center is imperative, as is identifying the underlying etiology and initiating symptomatic care.

Liver transplantation for acute liver failure due to antitubercular drugs - a single-center experience

OBJECTIVES

Patients receiving treatment for tuberculosis are at risk of developing acute liver failure due to the hepatotoxicity of antitubercular drugs. We aimed to describe our experience with liver transplantation from deceased donors in this situation.

METHODS

We identified patients undergoing transplantation for acute liver failure due to antitubercular drugs in our prospectively maintained database.

RESULTS

Of 81 patients undergoing transplantation for acute liver failure, 8 cases were attributed to antitubercular drugs during the period of 2006-2016. Regarding the time of tuberculosis treatment until the onset of jaundice, patients were on antitubercular drugs for a mean of 64.7 days (21-155 days). The model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score of patients ranged from 32 to 47 (median 38), and seven patients underwent transplantation under vasopressors. The 1-year survival was 50%. Three patients died during the week following transplantation due to septic shock (including a patient with acute liver failure due to hepatic/disseminated tuberculosis), and the remaining patient died 2 months after transplantation due to pulmonary infection. There were 2 cases of mild rejection and 1 case of moderate rejection. Of the surviving patients, all were considered cured of tuberculosis after alternative drugs were given.

CONCLUSION

Patients arrived very sick and displayed poor survival after deceased donor transplantation.

Is Fulminant Hepatic Failure the Nemesis for Liver Transplant Centers? A Two Decade Psychosocial and Long-Term Outcome Study

Long-term outcomes in liver transplantation for acute liver failure (ALF) are poorly studied. The aim of the study was to identify psychosocial variables that affect adherence and late survival. Retrospective review of ALF liver transplant (LTx) patients between 1997 and 2017 (n = 47) was conducted. Psychosocial history, life stressors, and ability to participate in transplant were recorded. Survival was calculated using Kaplan-Meier and logistic regression. Eleven patients (31.5%) had poor adherence, four died, all from graft failure. Of 13 with fair and 12 with good adherence, two died, no adherence related. Poor adherence was associated with higher mortality (P = 0.04), but by Kaplan-Meier, their five- and 10-year survival was 78 and 54 per cent, versus fair and good adherence (five years, 83% P = 0.3). Participating in transplant decision improved survival (five years, 80%) versus not participating (five years, 61%; P = 0.03). Of 10 early deaths, three were neurologic and five of sepsis. Overall, one- and five-year survival was 78 and 69 per cent. ALF represents the nemesis of LTx programs. Psychosocial aspects pre-LTx, stressors, and poor adherence affected survival in this series. No improvement over two decades of ALF LTxs was observed. The ethics of transplanting these high-risk patients will be the subject of our future research.

Early Combination Therapy with Corticosteroid and Nucleoside Analogue Induces Rapid Resolution of Inflammation in Acute Liver Failure due to Transient Hepatitis B Virus Infection

Objective Patients with acute hepatitis B sometimes develop acute liver failure (ALF), which has a poor prognosis. The efficacy of nucleoside analogue (NA) monotherapy for ALF due to transient hepatitis B virus infection (HBV-ALF) remains controversial. Further investigations are necessary in nations with a shortage of donor livers for liver transplantation. In the present study, we aimed to clarify the efficacy of combination therapy with corticosteroid (CS) and NA in the treatment HBV-ALF. Patients We examined the clinical and biochemical features of 19 patients with HBV-ALF who were treated in the early stage of the disease between 2000 and 2015. Results Fourteen patients received CS and NA (CS + NA group) and 5 received NA monotherapy (NA group). Eleven patients (58%) survived and 8 (42%) died. The survival rates in the CS + NA and NA groups were 64% and 40%, respectively (p=0.60). The mean alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels declined significantly at week 2 in both groups. The mean PT activities improved significantly at weeks 1 and 2 in the CS + NA group (p<0.05) but not in the NA group. None of the surviving patients developed persistent infection. Conclusion Combination therapy with CS and NA induces the rapid resolution of inflammation leading to a rapid recovery of the liver function. When it is administered at a sufficiently early stage, it would have a survival benefit and prevent persistent infection in HBV-ALF.

Prognostic value of decision criteria for emergency liver transplantation in patients with wild mushroom induced acute liver injury

BACKGROUND

The reported mortality rate of mushroom-induced acute liver failure with conventional treatment is 1.4%-16.9%. Emergency liver transplantation may be indicated and can be the only curative treatment option. This study aimed to assess the prognostic value of criteria for emergency liver transplantation in predicting 28-day mortality in patients with mushroom-induced acute liver injury.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was performed between January 2005 and December 2015. All adult patients aged≥18 years admitted with mushroom intoxication at our emergency department were evaluated. All patients with acute liver injury, defined as elevation of serum liver enzymes (>5 times the upper limit of normal, ULN) or moderate coagulopathy (INR > 2.0) were included. The ability of the King's College, Ganzert's, and Escudié's criteria to predict 28-day mortality was evaluated.

RESULTS

Of the 23 patients with acute liver injury following mushroom intoxication, 10 (43.5%) developed acute liver failure and subsequently died. The mean time interval from ingestion to death was 11.3 ± 6.6 days. Eight patients fulfilled Ganzert's criteria, while 10 patients fulfilled the King's College and Escudié's criteria for emergency liver transplantation. King's College and Escudié's criteria had 100% accuracy in predicting 28-day mortality; however, Escudié's criteria were able to identify fatal cases earlier.

CONCLUSIONS

Escudié's criteria demonstrated the best performance with 100% accuracy and the ability to promptly identify fatal cases of mushroom-induced acute liver failure.

Bleeding complications in acute liver failure

In patients with acute liver failure (ALF), elevated prothrombin time and thrombocytopenia can fuel a perception of a bleeding tendency. However, the incidence, site, risk factors, and clinical significance of bleeding complications have not been quantified in a large cohort of patients with ALF. We studied 1,770 adult patients enrolled in the ALF Study Group Registry between 1998 and 2016. Bleeding complications and blood component transfusions were collected for 7 days after admission. The relationship of bleeding complications to 21-day mortality was assessed. Despite a median international normalized ratio of 2.7 and platelet count of 96 × 109 /L on admission, bleeding complications were observed in only 187 patients (11%), including 173 spontaneous and 22 postprocedural bleeding episodes. Eighty-four percent of spontaneous bleeding episodes were from an upper gastrointestinal source and rarely resulted in red blood cell transfusion. Twenty patients experienced an intracranial bleed; half of these occurred spontaneously and half after intracranial pressure monitor placement, and this was the proximate cause of death in 20% and 50%, respectively. Bleeders and patients who received red blood cell transfusions were more acutely ill from extrahepatic organ system failure but not from hepatocellular failure. Consistent with this observation, bleeding complications were associated with lower platelet counts but not higher international normalized ratio. Transfusion of any blood component was associated with nearly 2-fold increased death or need for liver transplantation at day 21, but bleeding complications were the proximate cause of death in only 5% of cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite a perceived bleeding diathesis, clinically significant bleeding is uncommon in patients with ALF; bleeding complications in patients with ALF are markers of severe systemic inflammation rather than of coagulopathy and so portend a poor prognosis. (Hepatology 2018;67:1931-1942).

Potential triggering factors of acute liver failure as a first manifestation of autoimmune hepatitis-a single center experience of 52 adult patients

AIM

To investigate potential triggering factors leading to acute liver failure (ALF) as the initial presentation of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).

METHODS

A total of 565 patients treated at our Department between 2005 and 2017 for histologically-proven AIH were retrospectively analyzed. However, 52 patients (9.2%) fulfilled the criteria for ALF defined by the "American Association for the Study of the Liver (AASLD)". According to this definition, patients with "acute-on-chronic" or "acute-on-cirrhosis" liver failure were excluded. Following parameters with focus on potential triggering factors were evaluated: Patients' demographics, causation of liver failure, laboratory data (liver enzymes, MELD-score, autoimmune markers, virus serology), liver histology, immunosuppressive regime, and finally, outcome of our patients.

RESULTS

The majority of patients with ALF were female (84.6%) and mean age was 43.6 ± 14.9 years. Interestingly, none of the patients with ALF was positive for anti-liver kidney microsomal antibody (LKM). We could identify potential triggering factors in 26/52 (50.0%) of previously healthy patients presenting ALF as their first manifestation of AIH. These were drug-induced ALF (57.7%), virus-induced ALF (30.8%), and preceding surgery in general anesthesia (11.5%), respectively. Unfortunately, 6 out of 52 patients (11.5%) did not survive ALF and 3 patients (5.7%) underwent liver transplantation (LT). Comparing data of survivors and patients with non-recovery following treatment, MELD-score (P < 0.001), age (P < 0.05), creatinine (P < 0.01), and finally, ALT-values (P < 0.05) reached statistical significance.

CONCLUSION

Drugs, viral infections, and previous surgery may trigger ALF as the initial presentation of AIH. Advanced age and high MELD-score were associated with lethal outcome.

Mortality Analysis of Acute Liver Failure in Uruguay

BACKGROUND

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a syndrome with high mortality.

OBJECTIVE

Describe characteristics and outcomes of patients with ALF in Uruguay, and identify factors associated with mortality.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 33 patients with ALF was performed between 2009 and 2017.

RESULTS

The patients' median age was 43 years, and 64% were women. Average Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score at admission was 33. The median referral time to the liver transplant (LT) center was 7 days. The most common etiologies were viral hepatitis (27%), indeterminate (21%), autoimmune (18%), and Wilson disease (15%). Overall mortality was 52% (71% of transplanted and 46% of nontransplanted patients). Dead patients had higher referral time (10 vs 4 days, P = .008), higher MELD scores at admission (37 vs 28) and highest achieved MELD scores (42 vs 29; P < .001), and higher encephalopathy grade III to IV (94% vs 25%, P < .001) than survivors. Patients without LT criteria (n = 4) had lower MELD score at admission (25 vs 34, P = .001) and highest achieved MELD score (27 vs 37, P = .008) compared with the others. Patients with LT criteria but contraindications (n = 7) had higher MELD scores at admission (38 vs 31, P = .02), highest achieved MELD scores (41 vs 34, P = .03), and longer referral time (10 days) than those without contraindications (3.5 days) or those without LT criteria (7.5 days, P = .02). Twenty-two patients were listed; LT was performed in 7, with a median time on waiting list of 6 days.

CONCLUSIONS

ALF in Uruguay has high mortality associated with delayed referral to the LT center, MELD score, and encephalopathy. The long waiting times to transplantation might influence mortality.

Acute liver failure in children-Is living donor liver transplantation justified?

OBJECTIVES

Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in patients with acute liver failure (ALF) has become an acceptable alternative to transplantation from deceased donors (DDLT). The aim of this study was to analyze outcomes of LDLT in pediatric patients with ALF based on our center's experience.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We enrolled 63 children (at our institution) with ALF who underwent liver transplantation between 1997 and 2016. Among them 24 (38%) underwent a LDLT and 39 (62%) received a DDLT. Retrospectively analyzed patient clinical data included: time lapse between qualification for transplantation and transplant surgery, graft characteristics, postoperative complications, long-term results post-transplantation, and living donor morbidity. Overall, we have made a comparison of clinical results between LDLT and DDLT groups.

RESULTS

Follow-up periods ranged from 12 to 182 months (median 109 months) for LDLT patients and 12 to 183 months (median 72 months) for DDLT patients. The median waiting time for a transplant was shorter in LDLT group than in DDLT group. There was not a single case of primary non-function (PNF) in the LDLT group and 20 out of 24 patients (83.3%) had good early graft function; 3 patients (12.5%) in the LDLT group died within 2 months of transplantation but there was no late mortality. In comparison, 4 out of 39 patients (10.2%) had PNF in DDLT group while 20 patients (51.2%) had good early graft function; 8 patients (20.5%) died early within 2 months and 2 patients (5.1%) died late after transplantation. The LDLT group had a shorter cold ischemia time (CIT) of 4 hours in comparison to 9.2 hours in the DDLT group (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

LDLT is a lifesaving procedure for pediatric patients with ALF. Our experience showed that it may be performed with very good results, and with very low morbidity and no mortality among living donors when performed by experienced teams following strict procedures.

Continuous renal replacement therapy is associated with reduced serum ammonia levels and mortality in acute liver failure

Hyperammonemia has been associated with intracranial hypertension and mortality in patients with acute liver failure (ALF). We evaluated the effect of renal replacement therapy (RRT) on serum ammonia level and outcomes in ALF. This was a multicenter cohort study of consecutive ALF patients from the United States ALF Study Group registry between January 1998 and December 2016. First, we studied the association of ammonia with hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and 21-day transplant-free survival (TFS; n = 1,186). Second, we studied the effect of RRT on ammonia for the first 3 days post study admission (n = 340) and on 21-day TFS (n = 1,186). Higher admission (n = 1,186) median ammonia level was associated with grade 3-4 HE (116 vs. 83 μmol/L) and mortality at day 21 attributed to neurological (181 vs. 90 μmol/L) and all causes (114 vs. 83 μmol/L; P < 0.001 for all). Among 340 patients with serial ammonia levels, 61 (18%) were on continuous RRT (CRRT), 59 (17%) were on intermittent RRT (IRRT), and 220 (65%) received no RRT for the first 2 days. From days 1 to 3, median ammonia decreased by 38%, 23%, and 19% with CRRT, IRRT, and no RRT, respectively. Comparing to no RRT use, whereas ammonia reduction with CRRT was significant (P = 0.007), with IRRT it was not (P = 0.75). After adjusting for year of enrollment, age, etiology, and disease severity, whereas CRRT (odds ratio [OR], 0.47 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.26-0.82]) was associated with reduction in 21-day transplant-free all-cause mortality, IRRT (OR, 1.68 [95% CI, 1.04-2.72]) was associated with an increase. Conclusion: In a large cohort of ALF patients, hyperammonemia was associated with high-grade HE and worse 21-day TFS. CRRT was associated with a reduction in serum ammonia level and improvement of 21-day TFS. (Hepatology 2018;67:711-720).

Acute liver failure induced by idiosyncratic reaction to drugs: Challenges in diagnosis and therapy

Acute liver failure (ALF) requires urgent attention to identify etiology and determine prognosis, in order to assess likelihood of survival or need for transplantation. Identifying idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (iDILI) may be particularly difficult, but the illness generally follows a subacute course, allowing time to assess outcome and find a liver graft if needed. Not all drugs that cause iDILI lead to ALF; the most common are antibiotics including anti-tuberculous medications, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and herbal and dietary supplements (HDS). Determining causality remains challenging particularly if altered mentation is present; identifying the causative agent depends in part on knowing the propensity of the drugs that have been taken in the proper time interval, plus excluding other causes. In general, iDILI that reaches the threshold of ALF will more often than not require transplantation, since survival without transplant is around 25%. Treatment consists of withdrawal of the presumed offending medication, consideration of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), as well as intensive care. Corticosteroids have not proven useful except perhaps in instances of apparent autoimmune hepatitis caused by a limited number of agents. Recently developed prognostic scoring systems may also aid in predicting outcome in this setting.

Mesenchymal stem cells rescue acute hepatic failure by polarizing M2 macrophages

AIM

To investigate whether M1 or M2 polarization contributes to the therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in acute hepatic failure (AHF).

METHODS

MSCs were transfused into rats with AHF induced by D-galactosamine (DGalN). The therapeutic effects of MSCs were evaluated based on survival rate and hepatocyte proliferation and apoptosis. Hepatocyte regeneration capacity was evaluated by the expression of the hepatic progenitor surface marker epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM). Macrophage polarization was analyzed by M1 markers [CD68, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), inducible nitric oxide synthase (INOS)] and M2 markers [CD163, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, arginase-1 (Arg-1)] in the survival and death groups after MSC transplantation.

RESULTS

The survival rate in the MSC-treated group was increased compared with the DPBS-treated control group (37.5% vs 10%). MSC treatment protected rats with AHF by reducing apoptotic hepatocytes and promoting hepatocyte regeneration. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that MSC treatment significantly increased the expression of EpCAM compared with the control groups (P < 0.001). Expression of EpCAM in the survival group was significantly up-regulated compared with the death group after MSC transplantation (P = 0.003). Transplantation of MSCs significantly improved the expression of CD163 and increased the gene expression of IL-10 and Arg-1 in the survival group. IL-4 concentrations were significantly increased compared to the death group after MSC transplantation (88.51 ± 24.51 pg/mL vs 34.61 ± 6.6 pg/mL, P < 0.001). In contrast, macrophages showed strong expression of CD68, TNF-α, and INOS in the death group. The concentration of IFN-γ was significantly increased compared to the survival group after MSC transplantation (542.11 ± 51.59 pg/mL vs 104.07 ± 42.80 pg/mL, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

M2 polarization contributes to the therapeutic effects of MSCs in AHF by altering levels of anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory factors.

Regional citrate anticoagulation for continuous renal replacement therapy in pediatric patients with liver failure

Pediatric liver failure patients frequently develop multiple organ failure and require continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) as part of supportive therapy in the pediatric intensive care unit. While many centers employ no anticoagulation for fear of bleeding complications, balanced coagulation disturbance predisposes these patients to clotting as well as bleeding, making maintenance of longer circuit life to deliver adequate dialysis clearance challenging. Regional citrate anticoagulation (RCA) is an attractive option as it avoids systemic anticoagulation, but since citrate metabolism is impaired in liver failure, concerns about toxicity has limited its use. Pediatric data on RCA with liver failure is very scarce. We aimed to establish safety and efficacy of RCA in pediatric liver failure patients on CRRT. Retrospective review of pediatric patients with liver failure receiving CRRT over 30 months. Demographic data and CRRT related data were collected by chart review. Citrate accumulation (CA) was defined as total calcium (mg/dl) /ionized calcium (mmol/L) ratio >2.5 for > 48 hours. Efficacy was assessed by filter life. Safety was assessed by frequency of adverse events ((AEs) defined as bleeding, hemodynamic instability, arrhythmias). Fifty-one patients (median age 3.5 (IQR 0.75-14.2) years) received 861 CRRT days; 70% experienced at least one episode of CA, only 37% were recorded as such in the medical record. AE rate was 93/1000 CRRT days and did not differ between CA days and others. Median filter life was 66 hours (IQR 29-74); 63% filters lasted longer than 48 hrs. Though common, CA was not associated with increased AEs on in pediatric liver failure patients on CRRT receiving RCA. Filter life was adequate. RCA appears an effective anticoagulation for CRRT in pediatric liver failure. Application of a structured definition would increase recognition of CA to allow timely intervention.

Deleterious impact of C3d-binding donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies after pediatric liver transplantation

BACKGROUND

The prevalence and clinical impact of anti-HLA donor-specific antibodies (DSA) after liver transplantation (LT) have not been extensively studied, especially in pediatric population.

METHODS

The present cross-sectional study included 100 patients who underwent a first LT in childhood. Anti HLA immunization study was performed at a single time point during routine follow-up using Luminex® single antigen tests with classical anti-IgG conjugate and anti-C3d conjugate.

RESULTS

The main indication for LT was biliary atresia (52%) and median age at LT was 4.6years. The median time between LT and DSA assessment was 7.8years (range 1-21years). DSA was identified in twenty-four patients (24%) after LT, with a prevalence of 8%, 28%, 33%, 50%, respectively 0-5years, 5-10years, 10-15years and >15years after LT. DSA were mainly class II (23/24) with a mean MFI of 9.731±5.489 and 18 (79.3%) were C3d-binding DSA. Multivariate analysis disclosed that time elapsed since LT (p<0.01) and history of fulminant hepatitis (p=0.04) were significantly associated with a higher rate of DSA. Liver function tests (at time of DSA assessment) were not different according to the presence or not of DSA (or C3d-binding DSA). Regarding histology, the DSA group had a higher rate of chronic rejection, cirrhosis and centrilobular fibrosis or cirrhosis. In addition, patients with C3d-binding DSA and high MFI (>10,000) had a significant poorer long-term graft survival (p=0.03).

CONCLUSION

In our pediatric cohort of LT, prevalence of DSA was high and increased regularly with time. Presence of C3d positive-DSA with high MFI was associated with a higher rate of graft loss.

Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio predicts short term mortality in patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure treated with an artificial liver support system

Aim

Hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure has high short-term mortality. Artificial liver support systems (ALSS) may improve outcome and avoid liver transplantation, but predicting short-term prognosis in such patients is difficult. This study aimed to determine whether the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), an inflammation marker, predicted mortality in patients treated with ALSS.

Methods

A total of 560 patients with hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure were enrolled, 338 were treated with ALSS and the others treated with standard of care(SOC). Clinical variables and the NLR were evaluated for prognostic value.

Results

Thirty-day mortality was 28.4% in ALSS and 55.4% in SOC patients. The NLR was lower in survivors than in ALSS or SOC patients who died. Univariate and multivariate analysis found that NLR and the chronic liver failure sequential organ failure assessment scores(CLIF-SOFA) were independently associated with 30-day mortality. Among patients with NLRs ≤ 3, 3–6, and >6, 30-day mortality was 7.7%,23.1%, and 69.2% in ALSS and 25.5%, 50.0%, and 75.0% in SOC patients. Among patients with NLRs ≤ 3 or 3–6, mortality was lower in ALSS than in SOC patients (P < 0.01). Mortality rates of ALSS and SOC patients with NLRs > 6 did not different (P >0.05). The area under curve of NLR and CLIF-SOFA was 0.82 and 0.88 in ALSS group, 0.78 and 0.86 in SOC group. The results suggest that liver function in most patients with NLRs ≤ 3 recovered with ALSS treatment, and patients with NLRs > 6 needed emergency liver transplantation.

Conclusion

NLR was an independent predictor of mortality in ALSS patients and may assist physicians in determining treatment options.

Hepatotoxicity of paracetamol and related fatalities

Paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, is the most commonly used antipyretic and pain reliever and since 1955 it is available over-the-counter as a single formulation or in combination with other substances and, as indicated by the World Health Organization, it can be used in all the three steps of pain intensity. Paracetamol toxicity is one of the most common causes of poisoning worldwide. While paracetamol is described as relatively nontoxic when administered in therapeutic doses, it is known to cause toxicity when taken in a single or repeated high dose, or after chronic ingestion. Repeated supratherapeutic misuse, non-intentional misuse, and intentional ingestion may all result in hepatic toxicity, the main cause of acute liver failure (ALF) in the United States and Europe. Since paracetamol is responsible for nearly half of the cases in the US of acute liver failure and remains the leading cause of liver transplantation, continued awareness promotion, education and research should be constantly undertaken. We herein review the literature on paracetamol toxicity with particular attention to aspects of liver damage and related fatalities.

Management of Acute Hepatotoxicity Including Medical Agents and Liver Support Systems

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) can be predictable or idiosyncratic and has an estimated incidence of approximately 20 cases per 100,000 persons per year. DILI is a common cause of acute liver failure in the United States. No accurate tests for diagnosing DILI exist, and its diagnosis is based on exclusion of other conditions. Managing DILI includes discontinuing the suspected causative agent and in selected cases administering an antidote. Liver support systems are used for long-term support or as a bridge to transplantation and are effective for improving encephalopathy, hyperbilirubinemia, and other liver-related conditions, but whether they improve survival remains uncertain.

Treatment of fulminant acute Hepatitis B with nucles(t)id analogues is safe and does not lead to secondary chronification of Hepatitis B

Background: Acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is still a major cause of acute liver failure (ALF), necessitating a high rate of emergency liver transplantation (LTx). Acute infection is followed by high viral replication rates leading to hepatocyte death and, ultimately, ALF. The objective of treating HBV-induced ALF thus is to eliminate, or significantly suppress, HBV replication and therefore reduce cell death and support regeneration. Objective: In this retrospective study, we want to evaluate the timing, the safety, and the long-term virological outcome of this approach. Methods/results: In this study, we included 32 patients (16 female and 16 males; median age 39.5 years) with ALF due to hepatitis B, who were transferred to the university hospital Essen, Germany between January 2009 and December 2013. Before treatment, transaminases were highly elevated, bilirubin was increased, and elevated international normalized ratio (INR) revealed impaired liver function. HBV-DNA and HBsAg were positive. All 32 patients received oral antiviral treatment (3 lamivudine, 21 entecavir, and 8 tenofovir) between 1 day and 4 months after diagnosis of acute hepatitis B. One patient died, 2 were transplanted, one died shortly after LTx the other patient survived after LTx. These 3 patients received treatment in a state of advanced liver failure, and 1 patient 4 months after initial diagnosis of hepatitis B. Twenty-nine patients survived without LTx. Five patients were discharged without further follow-up. All 24 remaining patients became HBV-DNA negative in median of 100 days. Twenty-two patients were followed further, and all patients lost their HBsAg in median of 108 days. Sixteen of the 22 patients experienced a seroconversion to anti-HBs in median of 137 days. Four patients who were followed for 1 more year after HBsAg did not develop anti-HBs. None of the patients developed chronic hepatitis B. Conclusion: Immediate treatment of HBV-induced ALF with nucleos(t)id-analogues (NUCs) appears save and prevents LTx and death, and there is no indication for increased chronicity.

Clinical management of acute liver failure: Results of an international multi-center survey

AIM

To assess the practice of caring for acute liver failure (ALF) patients in varying geographic locations and medical centers.

METHODS

Members of the European Acute Liver Failure Consortium completed an 88-item questionnaire detailing management of ALF. Responses from 22 transplantation centers in 11 countries were analyzed, treating between 300 and 500 ALF cases and performing over 100 liver transplants (LT) for ALF annually. The questions pertained to details of the institution and their clinical activity, standards of care, referral and admission, ward- based care versus intensive care unit (ICU) as well as questions regarding liver transplantation - including criteria, limitations, and perceived performance. Clinical data was also collected from 13 centres over a 3 mo period.

RESULTS

The interval between referral and admission of ALF patients to specialized units was usually less than 24 h and once admitted, treatment was provided by a multidisciplinary team. Principles of care of patients with ALF were similar among centers, particularly in relation to recognition of severity and care of the more critically ill. Centers exhibited similarities in thresholds for ICU admission and management of severe hepatic encephalopathy. Over 80% of centers administered n-acetyl-cysteine to ICU patients for non-paracetamol-related ALF. There was significant divergence in the use of prophylactic antibiotics and anti-fungals, lactulose, nutritional support and imaging investigations in admitted patients and in the monitoring and treatment of intra-cranial pressure (ICP). ICP monitoring was employed in 12 centers, with the most common indications being papilledema and renal failure. Most patients listed for transplantation underwent surgery within an average waiting time of 1-2 d. Over a period of 3 mo clinical data from 85 ALF patients was collected. Overall patient survival at 90-d was 76%. Thirty six percent of patients underwent emergency LT, with a 90% post transplant survival to hospital discharge, 42% survived with medical management alone.

CONCLUSION

Alongside similarities in principles of care of ALF patients, major areas of divergence were present in key areas of diagnosis, monitoring, treatment and decision to transplant.

Liver transplantation for children with acute liver failure associated with secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare life-threatening systemic disease, characterized by overwhelming stimulation of the immune system and categorized as primary or secondary types. Occasionally, acute liver failure (ALF) may dominate the clinical presentation. Given the systemic nature of HLH and risk of recurrence, HLH is considered by many a contraindication to liver transplantation (LT). The aim of this study is to review our single-center experience with LT in children with secondary HLH and ALF (HLH-ALF). This is a cross-sectional, retrospective study of children with secondary HLH-ALF that underwent LT in 2005-2014. Of 246 LTs, 9 patients (3 males; median age, 5 years; range, 0.7-15.4 years) underwent LT for secondary HLH-ALF. Disease progression was rapid with median 14 days (range, 6-27 days) between first symptoms and LT. Low fibrinogen/high triglycerides, elevated ferritin, hemophagocytosis on liver biopsy, and soluble interleukin 2 receptor levels were the most commonly fulfilled diagnostic criteria; HLH genetic studies were negative in all patients. Immunosuppressive therapy after LT included corticosteroids adjusted to HLH treatment protocol and tacrolimus. Thymoglobulin (n = 5), etoposide (n = 4), and alemtuzumab (n = 2) were used in cases of recurrence. Five (56%) patients experienced HLH recurrence, 1 requiring repeat LT, and 3 died. Overall graft and patient survival were 60% and 67%, respectively. Six patients are alive and well at a median of 24 months (range, 15-72 months) after transplantation. In conclusion, LT can be beneficial in selected patients with secondary HLH-ALF and can restore good health in an otherwise lethal condition. Liver Transplantation 22 1245-1253 2016 AASLD.