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Chapin CA, Whitehead B, Shakhin V, Taylor SA, Kriegermeier A, Mohammad S, Alonso EM. Immunosuppression minimization is safe and associated with good long-term success in pediatric recipients of liver transplant. Liver Transpl 2024; 30:707-716. [PMID: 37934051 DOI: 10.1097/lvt.0000000000000300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Immunosuppression reduction after liver transplant is an important strategy to mitigate long-term medication side effects. We describe our center's experience with immunosuppression minimization to once-daily calcineurin inhibitor dosing. Success was defined as continuing daily calcineurin inhibitor monotherapy with normal transaminases and no rejection. We performed a retrospective review of eligible children who received a liver transplant between 2009 and 2016, had a surveillance biopsy, and were on twice-daily calcineurin inhibitor monotherapy. Twenty-eight of 51 eligible patients were minimized to daily calcineurin inhibitor with goal 12-hour trough detectable. Nineteen patients (68%) had 1-year success, and 17 (61%) had long-term success at a median follow-up of 5.0 years (interquartile range (IQR): 2.9-6.6). Minimization failure occurred at a median of 0.6 years (IQR: 0.3-1.0) after dose reduction. Patients with long-term success had lower aspartate aminotransferase levels prior to minimization compared to those who failed with a median of 28.0 IU/L (IQR: 20.5-32.0) versus 32.0 IU/L (IQR: 30.0-37.0), p = 0.047. The long-term success group demonstrated a trend toward greater recipients of liver transplant from living donors (53% vs. 18%, p = 0.07). At the time of the last follow-up at a median of 5.0 years (IQR: 2.9-6.1) after surveillance biopsy, most (73%) patients who failed had returned to twice-daily calcineurin inhibitor monotherapy, all had liver enzymes <2 times the upper limit of normal, and there were no patient deaths or graft losses. In conclusion, immunosuppression minimization is safe in pediatric recipients of liver transplant and should be considered to reduce long-term medication side effects and improve patient quality of life. Future studies are necessary to follow long-term outcomes and develop biomarkers to predict minimization success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Chapin
- Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Bridget Whitehead
- Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Victoria Shakhin
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Health System, University of Michigan, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Sarah A Taylor
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Alyssa Kriegermeier
- Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Saeed Mohammad
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Estella M Alonso
- Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Kortbeek S, Anderson SG, Alonso EM, Rand EB, Bucuvalas J, Mazariegos GV, Campbell KM, Lobritto SJ, Feldman AG, Mysore KR, Anand R, Selzner N, Ng VL. Immunosuppression-Free Life after Pediatric Liver Transplant: A Case-Control Study from the Society of Pediatric Liver Transplant (SPLIT) Registry. J Pediatr 2024; 264:113744. [PMID: 37726087 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2023.113744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare long-term outcomes of pediatric liver transplant (LT) recipients off immunosuppression (IS) with matched controls on IS using data from the Society of Pediatric Liver Transplant (SPLIT) registry. STUDY DESIGN This was a retrospective case-control study. SPLIT participants <18 years of age, ≥4 years after isolated LT, and off IS for ≥1 year (cases) were age- and sex-matched 1:2 to patients with the same primary diagnosis and post-LT follow-up duration (controls). Primary outcomes included retransplantation, allograft rejection, IS comorbidities, and prevalence of SPLIT-derived composite ideal outcome (c-IO) achieved at the end of the follow-up period. Differences were compared using multiple linear regression for continuous outcomes and logistic regression for dichotomous data. RESULTS The study cohort was composed of 33 cases (42.4% male, 60.6% biliary atresia, median age at LT of 0.7 [P25, P75, 0.5, 1.6] years, median IS withdrawal time of 9 [P25, P75, 6, 12] years after LT) and 66 age- and sex-matched controls. No cases required retransplantation. Cases and controls had similar growth parameters, laboratory values, calculated glomerular filtration rates, rates of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease, graft rejection, and attainment of c-IO. CONCLUSIONS No differences in allograft rejection rates, IS complications, or c-IO prevalence were seen between SPLIT patients off IS and age- and sex-matched controls remaining on IS. Discontinuation of IS most commonly occurred in the context of rigorously designed IS withdrawal trials. The available sample size was small, affecting generalizability to the broader pediatric LT population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Kortbeek
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Alberta Children's Hospital, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Estella M Alonso
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Elizabeth B Rand
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
| | - John Bucuvalas
- Division of Pediatric Hepatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - George V Mazariegos
- Division of Transplantation Surgery, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Kathleen M Campbell
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH
| | - Steven J Lobritto
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Amy G Feldman
- Division of Pediatrics, Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Digestive Health Institute, University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO
| | - Krupa R Mysore
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX
| | | | - Nazia Selzner
- Ajmera Transplant Center, Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vicky L Ng
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Transplant and Regenerative Medicine Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Appenzeller-Herzog C, Rosat A, Mathes T, Baroja-Mazo A, Chruscinski A, Feng S, Herrero I, Londono MC, Mazariegos G, Ohe H, Pons JA, Sanchez-Fueyo A, Waki K, Vionnet J. Time since liver transplant and immunosuppression withdrawal outcomes: Systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis. Liver Int 2024; 44:250-262. [PMID: 37905605 DOI: 10.1111/liv.15764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Successful immunosuppression withdrawal (ISW) is possible for a subfraction of liver transplant (LT) recipients but the factors that define the risk of ISW failure are largely unknown. One candidate prognostic factor for ISW success or operational tolerance (OT) is longer time between LT and ISW which we term "pre-withdrawal time". To clarify the impact of pre-withdrawal time span on subsequent ISW success or failure, we conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis. METHODS We systematically interrogated the literature for LT recipient ISW studies reporting pre-withdrawal time. Eligible articles from Embase, Medline, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were used for backward and forward citation searching. Pre-withdrawal time individual patient data (IPD) was requested from authors. Pooled mean differences and time-response curves were calculated using random-effects meta-analyses. RESULTS We included 17 studies with 691 patients, 15 of which (620 patients) with IPD. Study-level risk of bias was heterogeneous. Mean pre-withdrawal time was greater by 427 days [95% confidence interval (CI) 67-788] in OT compared to non-OT patients. This increase was potentiated to 799 days (95% CI 369-1229) or 1074 days (95% CI 685-1463) when restricting analysis to adult or European study participants. In time-response meta-analysis for adult or European ISW candidates, likelihood of OT increased by 7% (95% CI 4-10%) per year after LT (GRADE low- and moderate-certainty of evidence, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Our data support the impact of pre-withdrawal time in ISW decision-making for adult and European LT recipients. PROSPERO REGISTRATION CRD42021272995.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aurélie Rosat
- Service of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tim Mathes
- Department for Medical Statistics, University Medical Centre Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Alberto Baroja-Mazo
- Digestive and Endocrine Surgery and Transplantation of Abdominal Organs, Biomedical Research Institute of Murcia (Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria-Arrixaca), Murcia, Spain
| | | | - Sandy Feng
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Ignacio Herrero
- Liver Unit, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra, Centro de investigación Biomédica en Red, Navarra, Spain
- Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Maria-Carlota Londono
- Liver Unit, Hospital Clinic Barcelona, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Centro de investigación Biomédica en Red, Barcelona, Spain
- Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - George Mazariegos
- UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Hidenori Ohe
- Department of Surgery, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - José A Pons
- Hepatology and Liver Transplant Unit, University Clinical Hospital Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain
| | - Alberto Sanchez-Fueyo
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College London University and King's College Hospital, London, UK
| | - Kayo Waki
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Julien Vionnet
- Service of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College London University and King's College Hospital, London, UK
- Transplantation Centre, University Hospital of Lausanne and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Antala S, DiNorcia J, Bucuvalas J. Balancing immunosuppression in pediatric liver transplantation: Playing the long game. Pediatr Transplant 2023; 27:e14575. [PMID: 37439035 DOI: 10.1111/petr.14575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
The overarching goal in the care of pediatric liver transplant recipients is to optimize allograft and patient health. Balancing immunosuppression to maintain allograft health while avoiding medication side effects is essential for long-term survival and optimal quality of life in pediatric liver transplant recipients. Utilizing precision medicine to personalize immunosuppression, which includes minimization and withdrawal, is core to this effort. The unique anatomy and physiology of the liver make it more tolerant to immune-mediated injury and a more favorable organ for immunosuppression minimization and withdrawal. However, several challenges exist. Standard biochemical values and histologic features may not reliably predict allograft health after a reduction in immunosuppression. Additionally, biochemical values alone do not reliably identify which patients can successfully develop operational tolerance, as there may be occult allograft injury despite normal liver enzymes. Finally, the durability of tolerance after successful reduction in immunosuppression remains uncertain over time. Innovative tools show promise in circumventing these challenges, but more research is needed to determine actual clinical utility. While immunosuppression-free transplant may not be a current reality for most pediatric liver transplant recipients, strategies to safely minimize immunosuppression without compromising allograft health are within reach. Each liver allograft and recipient pair requires a different degree of immune modulation, and through a structured process of minimization and withdrawal, immunosuppression can indeed be tailored in a precise, personalized way to optimize outcomes. This review focuses on the progress that has been made to individualize immunosuppression in pediatric liver transplantation to ensure optimal allograft and recipient health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Antala
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine, Kravis Children's Hospital at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Joseph DiNorcia
- Recanati-Miller Transplantation Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City, New York, USA
| | - John Bucuvalas
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine, Kravis Children's Hospital at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA
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5
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Montano-Loza AJ, Rodríguez-Perálvarez ML, Pageaux GP, Sanchez-Fueyo A, Feng S. Liver transplantation immunology: Immunosuppression, rejection, and immunomodulation. J Hepatol 2023; 78:1199-1215. [PMID: 37208106 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Outcomes after liver transplantation have continuously improved over the past decades, but long-term survival rates are still lower than in the general population. The liver has distinct immunological functions linked to its unique anatomical configuration and to its harbouring of a large number of cells with fundamental immunological roles. The transplanted liver can modulate the immunological system of the recipient to promote tolerance, thus offering the potential for less aggressive immunosuppression. The selection and adjustment of immunosuppressive drugs should be individualised to optimally control alloreactivity while mitigating toxicities. Routine laboratory tests are not accurate enough to make a confident diagnosis of allograft rejection. Although several promising biomarkers are being investigated, none of them is sufficiently validated for routine use; hence, liver biopsy remains necessary to guide clinical decisions. Recently, there has been an exponential increase in the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors due to the unquestionable oncological benefits they provide for many patients with advanced-stage tumours. It is expected that their use will also increase in liver transplant recipients and that this might affect the incidence of allograft rejection. Currently, the evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of immune checkpoint inhibitors in liver transplant recipients is limited and cases of severe allograft rejection have been reported. In this review, we discuss the clinical relevance of alloimmune disease, the role of minimisation/withdrawal of immunosuppression, and provide practical guidance for using checkpoint inhibitors in liver transplant recipients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldo J Montano-Loza
- Division of Gastroenterology and Liver Unit, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
| | - Manuel L Rodríguez-Perálvarez
- Department of Hepatology and Liver Transplantation, Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Universidad de Córdoba, IMIBIC, Córdoba, Spain; CIBER de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Madrid, Spain
| | - George-Philippe Pageaux
- Liver Transplantation Unit, Digestive Department, Saint Eloi University Hospital, University of Montpellier, 34295, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Alberto Sanchez-Fueyo
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College London University and King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sandy Feng
- Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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6
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Sood V, Lal BB, Ashwini N, Khanna R, Pamecha V, Trehanpati N, Alam S. Operational Tolerance after Liver Transplantation: First Report from India. J Clin Exp Hepatol 2023; 13:178-181. [PMID: 36647413 PMCID: PMC9840074 DOI: 10.1016/j.jceh.2022.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Operational tolerance after liver transplantation is an ideal goal to avoid long-term morbidities associated with chronic immunosuppressive medication use. It is achievable in a highly selected group of post-transplant recipients but requires long-term follow-up and strict monitoring. We hereby report a post-transplant case who achieved spontaneous operational tolerance after inadvertent immunosuppression withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikrant Sood
- Department of Pediatric Hepatology, New Delhi 110070, India
| | - Bikrant B. Lal
- Department of Pediatric Hepatology, New Delhi 110070, India
| | - N.S. Ashwini
- Department of Hepatopathology, New Delhi 110070, India
| | - Rajeev Khanna
- Department of Pediatric Hepatology, New Delhi 110070, India
| | - Viniyendra Pamecha
- Department of Hepato-pancreato-biliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, New Delhi 110070, India
| | - Nirupama Trehanpati
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, New Delhi 110070, India
| | - Seema Alam
- Department of Pediatric Hepatology, New Delhi 110070, India
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7
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Lerret SM, Flynn E, White-Traut R, Alonso E, Mavis AM, Jensen MK, Peterson CG, Schiffman R. Acceptability of an mHealth Family Self-management Intervention (myFAMI) for Pediatric Transplantation Families: Qualitative Focus. JMIR Nurs 2022; 5:e39263. [PMID: 35838761 PMCID: PMC9338419 DOI: 10.2196/39263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Around 1800 pediatric transplantations were performed in 2021, which is approximately 5% of the annual rate of solid organ transplantations carried out in the United States. Effective family self-management in the transition from hospital to home-based recovery promotes successful outcomes of transplantation. The use of mHealth to deliver self-management interventions is a strategy that can be used to support family self-management for transplantation recipients and their families. Objective The study aims to evaluate the acceptability of an mHealth intervention (myFAMI) that combined use of a smartphone app with triggered nurse communication with family members of pediatric transplantation recipients. Methods This is a secondary analysis of qualitative data from family members who received the myFAMI intervention within a larger randomized controlled trial. Eligible participants used the app in the 30-day time frame after discharge and participated in a 30-day postdischarge telephone interview. Content analysis was used to generate themes. Results A total of 4 key themes were identified: (1) general acceptance, (2) positive interactions, (3) home management after hospital discharge, and (4) opportunities for improvement. Conclusions Acceptability of the intervention was high. Family members rated the smartphone application as easy to use. myFAMI allowed the opportunity for families to feel connected to and engage with the medical team while in their home environment. Family members valued and appreciated ongoing support and education specifically in this first 30 days after their child’s hospital discharge and many felt it contributed positively to the management of their child’s medical needs at home. Family members provided recommendations for future refinement of the app and some suggested that a longer follow-up period would be beneficial. The development and refinement of mHealth care delivery strategies hold potential for improving outcomes for solid organ transplantation patients and their families and as a model to consider in other chronic illness populations. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03533049; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03533049
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacee Marie Lerret
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Erin Flynn
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Rosemary White-Traut
- Department of Nursing Research, Children's Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Estella Alonso
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Ann & Robert H Lurie Children's Hospital, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Alisha M Mavis
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University School of Medicine, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - M Kyle Jensen
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Caitlin G Peterson
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Rachel Schiffman
- College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, United States
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