Bile duct injury as a part of diagnostic criteria for liver allograft rejection

The decisive criterium of acute liver allograft rejection was found to be the presence of the diagnostic triad of acute rejection; ie, the presence of portal inflammatory mixed infiltrates, venous endothelialitis (both portal and central), and bile duct injury. On the basis of the presence of each of the components of the diagnostic triad, criteria for the diagnosis of different degrees of acute rejection were developed, particularly focusing attention on a detailed analysis of bile duct injury. Bile duct injury was shown to be an essential part of the histopathologic changes in all grades of acute rejection in the liver allograft, the grade of severity of bile duct injury correlating to a certain extent with the grade of severity of acute rejection. Our analyses have made it evident that bile duct injury, which most probably occurs earlier in the process of acute rejection than endothelialitis, is a more sensitive parameter than endothelialitis in the diagnosis of acute rejection. Furthermore, our analyses have revealed that bile duct injury in acute rejection is likely to be an irreversible process, depending on the number of episodes of acute rejection that previously occurred. On the other hand, it has become clear from our results that bile duct injury must not be considered to be an absolute histopathologic marker of acute rejection; however, it does have to be judged synoptically in connection with the other components of the diagnostic triad and the changes that the triad cause in the hepatic parenchyma. Additional analyses of the grade of severity of cholostases have shown that the cholostases are, to a certain degree, an accompanying phenomenon of the histopathologic changes characterizing acute rejection rather than a histopathologic change that is as significant as the presence of the components of the diagnostic triad.

The role of liver transplantation in hepatobiliary malignancy. A retrospective analysis of 95 patients with particular regard to tumor stage and recurrence

The role of hepatic transplantation in patients with nonresectable liver or bile duct cancer remains a controversial issue. An analysis of 95 consecutive cases was undertaken to evaluate retrospectively the pathological tumor stage--in accordance with the TNM system--and outcome after transplantation. Included were patients with the following diagnoses: hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 52), cholangiocellular carcinoma (n = 10), hepatoblastoma (n = 2), hemangiosarcoma (n = 2), bile duct carcinoma (n = 20), and liver metastases from different primary tumors (n = 9). The overall actuarial survival rate at 5 years was 20.4%. Median survival improved significantly within the last 4 years as compared to the preceding era (18.06 vs. 4.0 months). Currently 27 patients are alive, with the longest follow-up more than 12 years. The incidences of residual or recurrent tumor were 27 and 28, respectively. Particularly in patients who underwent transplantation for hepatocellular or bile duct carcinoma without extra-hepatic tumor spread, the results were significantly better; median survival time achieved for these two groups were 120 (p less than 0.01) and 35 months (p less than 0.05). Prolonged survival without tumor recurrence was not seen in patients with cholangiocellular carcinoma or liver metastases. These results demonstrate clearly that liver transplantation for hepatobiliary malignancy is still justified on the premises of careful patient selection by adequate tumor staging.

[Combined heart and kidney transplantation in terminal myocardial and renal insufficiency]

In a 38-year-old man combined heart and kidney transplantation was performed successfully in one operation. Both organs have functioned well postoperatively: the patient was discharged from hospital on the 19th postoperative day and has remained in functional class I (New York Heart Association) eight months later. Only two episodes of cardiac rejection have been observed during this period, responding to treatment, and there was no evidence of rejection of the kidney. Such combined heart-kidney transplantation from one donor seems to be a promising form of treatment for patients in end-stage myocardial and renal failure. The frequency of cardiac rejections my be lower after combined heart-kidney transplantation than after cardiac transplantation alone.

Combination harvesting procedure for liver and whole pancreas

Combination harvesting procedures for the liver and whole pancreas can be carried out successfully in most instances, but this requires agreement between the liver and pancreas teams concerning the vascular supply for the grafts. If one donor team is in charge of both organs, the procedure has considerable economical advantages. Even if one organ is not suitable, partial success is sufficient to compensate for the effort and costs.

[Changes in intraoperative total oxygen consumption in patients during liver transplantation]

The changes in O2-uptake (VO2) during 110 liver transplantations (LTX) were studied using Fick's principle (O2-uptake = cardiac index x arteriovenous O2-content difference). During each of the three operative periods [a dissecting period before clamping of the hepatic vessels (1), the anhepatic phase (2), and after reperfusion of the new liver (3)], two measurements (A and B) were taken. After removal of the liver (2A) the VO2 decreased about 11.4%, and increased after reperfusion (3A) about 44.0%; these changes were significant (P less than 0.001). To evaluate the influence of the various indications for LTX on the course of intraoperative VO2, the following patient groups were compared: patients with hepatic tumors (n = 17), patients with cirrhosis following hepatitis (n = 14), patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (n = 17), patients with cirrhosis plus tumor (n = 11), and patients in a hepatic coma (n = 20), regardless of the underlying liver disease. Groups with less than ten subjects were not considered. The drop of VO2 in the anhepatic period (1B----2A) was between -26.7% (patients with tumors) and -7.3% (patients with cirrhosis plus tumor). The patients with cirrhosis following hepatitis showed a special feature: their VO2 increased about 13.4% after cross-clamping the hepatic vessels. After revascularization, the VO2 increased in all groups between +37.2% and +69.8%. In all groups the level of VO2 was higher after reperfusion (3A) than in the dissecting period (1B), ranging from +5.3% in patients with tumors to +61.6% in patients with cirrhosis following hepatitis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A new technique of hepatic vein reconstruction in partial liver transplantation

The shortage of pediatric donor livers has stimulated the development of advanced surgical approaches such as partial liver transplantation, which produces the same results as whole organ replacement. Differences in body weight between donor and recipient of more than four times, however, usually necessitate extended reduction hepatectomy and modified ways of performing vascular reconstruction. Therefore, following ex vivo "trisegmentectomy," a new technique of hepatic venous drainage was developed with an end-to-side anastomosis of the left donor hepatic vein to the preserved recipient inferior vena cava. This operative technique was applied to four children, one of whom had a retransplantation performed in exactly the same fashion. There were no specific complications related to this particular surgical technique. From our preliminary experience we conclude that reduced-size liver transplantation can be safely performed with the described type of hepatic vein reconstruction, especially when large donor organs have to be used for small children.

[Ex situ operation on the liver. A new possibility in liver surgery]

A method for an ex situ operation of the liver is presented with the example of such an operation in a 40-year-old patient. With this operation bilateral liver metastases of a leiomyosarcoma--which were otherwise regarded as irresectable--were resected. Function of the liver after reimplantation was good. Liver protection was performed by perfusion with cardioplegic HTK-solution (Bretschneider). The techniques of liver ex- and implantation are based on the methods of liver transplantation. Extracorporal femoro-porto-axillary bypass for decompression of the inferior caval vein and portal vein was used throughout the anhepatic period of 6 h. It is supposed that the method described here--which according to the authors' knowledge has been performed for the first time in a patient--will open up new perspectives for the surgery of malignant and occasionally of benign tumors, if necessary also for other surgical liver diseases. As an additional possibility, in situ protection of the liver with consecutive operation of the bloodless liver in situ is discussed. This procedure will correspond for the most part to the ex situ technique described here.

Adenine nucleotide metabolism and its relation to organ viability in human liver transplantation

The relationship between adenine nucleotide metabolism and ischemic damage was studied in human liver. Thirty transplanted grafts were divided into two groups according to their functional outcome. Cellular adenine nucleotide levels were assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography. During cold ischemia, the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level was not correlated with graft function, but two grafts with low total adenine nucleotides (TAN) levels showed poor function after transplantation. After recirculation, the ATP level showed good recovery in grafts that functioned satisfactorily (n = 24, 5.47 +/- 1.51 mumol/g dry weight), but remained low in poorly functioning grafts (n = 6, 3.30 +/- 1.68 mumol/g dry weight) (P less than 0.01). The level of recovery of ATP was inversely related to the period of warm ischemia during implantation (P less than 0.01). Bile production, used as a parameter of initial function, was observed shortly after implantation in 17 of 24 grafts that functioned satisfactorily, but in only 1 of 6 poorly functioning grafts. It is concluded that loss of adenine nucleotides and lack of bile production during transplantation are good markers of damaged grafts in human liver transplantation.

Monoethylglycinexylidide formation kinetics: a novel approach to assessment of liver function

A novel quantitative liver function test is described which is based on monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) formation after lidocaine bolus injection. Following the administration of small single doses of lidocaine hydrochloride (1 mg/kg), monoethylglycinexylidide serum concentration-time curves were determined by a novel highly sensitive fluorescence polarisation immunoassay (FPIA) in healthy volunteers, liver donors and patients with liver cirrhosis. The FPIA allowed rapid and reliable monoethylglycinexylidide determinations in serum and urine (between-days coefficient of variation: less than 10.3%, recovery: 80-113%). Monoethylglycinexylidide concentrations measured by FPIA in 32 serum samples from patients correlated well those determined by HPLC. The monoethylglycinexylidide concentration in serum determined 15 min after a lidocaine bolus injection proved to be a highly sensitive and specific indicator of hepatic dysfunction. Average monoethylglycinexylidide concentrations in serum obtained 15 min after lidocaine injection were substantially lower in patients with liver cirrhosis than in healthy volunteers. The average monoethylglycinexylidide concentrations in serum were also substantially lower in liver donors with ballooning or fatty changes of hepatocytes than in donors without relevant alterations of liver histology. By means of monoethylglycinexylidide formation in the liver donors, primary function of the transplanted liver was correctly predicted in 32/37 cases and initial non-function in 4/6 cases.

Hepatic transplantation in Europe. First Report of the European Liver Transplant Registry

At the 32 European centres where livers are transplanted the actuarial survival rate for 1218 patients was 44% at 1 year and 41% at 2 years. Perioperative mortality (30 days) was 30%. Recipients aged under 15 years had a higher survival rate than those aged over 15; the differences were 22% at 1 year and 32% at 2 years. For the 97 patients who received two or more liver grafts, actuarial survival was 27.7% at 1 and 2 years. Two-thirds of the transplantations were done since 1984. Since then the best results have been obtained for biliary atresia (88 cases; survival rates at 30 days, 1 year, and 2 years were 87%, 74%, and 68%). Primary biliary cirrhosis was the commonest benign indication for transplantation, with survival of 64% at 1 and 2 years. The proportion of transplantations that were done for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma was smaller after than before 1984; among transplantations done in adults after 1984, those done because of hepatocellular carcinoma gave the best perioperative survival rate (76%) but the worst 2 year survival (30.8%).

99mTc-diethyl-iodo-HIDA (JODIDA): a new hepatobiliary agent in clinical comparison with 99mTc-diisopropyl-HIDA (DISIDA) in jaundiced patients

The new HIDA derivative, 99mTc-diethyl-iodine-HIDA (JODIDA), was compared with 99mTc-diisopropyl-HIDA (DISIDA) in 17 patients with jaundice by means of paired cholescintigraphic imaging studies. The following parameters were visually assessed: the extent of urinary tract visualization, biliary contrast and appearance time, and gallbladder visualization and appearance time. In the 6 patients with a total bilirubin level of between 19 and 66 mumol/l (1.1 and 3.9 mg/dl), both radiopharmaceuticals gave similar results except for the moderate visualization of the urinary tract with DISIDA in contrast to JODIDA. In the remaining 11 patients with a total bilirubin level between 102 and 1303 mumol/l (6 and 76 mg/dl). JODIDA showed significant advantages over DISIDA: nonvisualization of the urinary tract, stronger and faster biliary contrast, and better gallbladder visualization. JODIDA thus offered substantial diagnostic advantages over DISIDA in 8 of these patients. In 4 patients, the differential diagnosis of jaundice (intrahepatic or mechanical disorder) was possible with JODIDA, whereas DISIDA either could not visualize intestinal or gallbladder activity at all or could not differentiate it from the urinary tract. In one patient, JODIDA offered faster (18 h) diagnosis. In the remaining 3 patients, other, substantially false interpretations could be avoided through the use of JODIDA. Further clinical experience with JODIDA in more than 40 patients confirmed the results of this study. We concluded that JODIDA is of significant advantage over DISIDA in clinical situations such as total bilirubin level above 80-100 mumol/l (4.7 to 5.8 mg/dl), examination of small children and critically ill patients and suggestion of bile leakage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Liver transplantation in childhood]

From 1977 to 1985 altogether 143 children were referred to our hospital for liver transplantation. These children were aged 6 months to 15 years. According to the results of a defined examination protocol liver transplantation was indicated in 102 of these children. Contraindications were observed in 17 patients. In 14 children liver transplantation was not yet indicated. Parents of 8 children refused transplantation. Only 30 children have been transplanted so far. Out of these, 21 actually survive. The cumulative 5-year survival rate after transplantation is calculated to be 60.5%.

[Mid C regional parathyroid hormone in the clinical workup: diagnostic value in extrarenal (primary) and renal (secondary) hyperparathyroidism]

The selective determination of mid-C-regional parathyroid hormone (mid-C-PTH) in combination with other laboratory parameters is a reliable tool for diagnosis and treatment of extra-renal (primary) and renal (secondary) hyperparathyroidism. Early stages, which show either high-to-normal serum calcium and elevated mid-C-PTH or increased serum calcium but normal mid-C-PTH, can be distinguished from overt hyperparathyroidism. Alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity and mid-C-regional PTH provide biochemical confirmation of histologically classified renal osteodystrophy. Since the index AP X PTH signifies osseous changes in dialysis patients at an early stage, therapeutic regimens may be altered without additional invasive procedures. After renal transplantation mid-C-PTH normalizes and serum creatinine decreases. Increased mid-C-PTH in patients with normal renal graft function reflects autonomous PTH secretion, which requires careful monitoring to prevent PTH-induced hypercalciuria.

Developments in liver transplantation

Liver transplantation has gained increasing interest. While liver grafting for tumor is successful over prolonged periods only in its early course, liver grafting for end-stage cirrhosis may lead to a long survival. Liver grafting in children is the most successful indication; in adults the results depend largely on timing and indication. Actual developments are mainly seen in the following points: a. Improvement in immunosuppression by use of Cyclosporin A. The resorption and metabolism of the drug, in relation to liver function, have to be carefully observed. b. The tendency to perform liver grafting electively instead of in emergency. c. Improvement in operative management, particularly the use of veno-venous bypass. d. The best possible anaesthesiological and intensive care management for the patients. It can be expected, that these developments will enable continuous improvement of results, particularly in an elective situation. One hundred and forty liver grafts have been done in our institution and the results are discussed herein. Progress in liver transplantation is marked by steadily growing numbers of liver grafts performed, and of centers performing grafts, as well as by improved success rates and the recommendation of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, based on discussions at a liver transplantation consent meeting, held in June 1983. This interest is also reflected in discussions among the medical and non-medical community. The first section of this paper will deal with the present state and results of liver grafting particularly, at our own institution and some actual developments in this field will be discussed.

Aims and practical application of a multi organ procurement protocol

According to the present situation of nonrenal organ transplantation there is an urgent need for heart, liver and pancreas grafts. To confront the steadily widening gap between cadaveric organ demand and supply the introduction of a multiorgan procurement protocol is mandatory. This protocol that is described in detail should regulate the collaboration between donor hospitals, the Eurotransplant Foundation, and transplant centers. On the basis of general, specific, and organspecific criteria potential donors can be evaluated, selected and accepted, then being followed by a well organized combined organ retrieval. The application of the proposed procurement protocol is expected to contribute significantly to the frequency and success rate of organ transplantation in Europe.

Thymolipoma--a rare, benign tumor of the thymus gland two case reports and review of the literature

Two case reports of thymolipoma are presented. In a review of the literature on the subject, the clinical and etiologic features of this nonmalignant tumor in the anterior mediastinum are discussed. Although rare, thymolipoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of mediastinal tumors.