Kasai procedure improves nutritional status and decreases transplantation-associated complications

Establishment of Biliary Atresia Prognostic Classification System via Survival-Based Forward Clustering - A New Biliary Atresia Classification

OBJECTIVES

To develop a machine learning algorithm with prognosis data to identify different clinical phenotypes of biliary atresia (BA) and provide instructions for choosing treatment schemes.

METHODS

Six hundred thirty-nine cases of type III BA were retrospectively collected from the Children's Hospital of Fudan University from Jan 1st, 2017 to Dec 1st, 2019 as a training dataset, and a survival-based forward clustering method, which can also be used to predict the subtype of a new patient was developed to identify BA subtypes.

RESULTS

A total of 2 clusters were identified (cluster 1 = 324 and cluster 2 = 315), where cluster 2 had a lower 2 y native liver survival post-Kasai rate. The infant patients in cluster 2 have higher weight, liver, and spleen volume, wider portal vein width, and older operative age; worse coagulation and liver function results; higher grade of liver fibrosis and detection rate of hepatic portal fibrous mass, and higher recent infection detection rate of herpes simplex virus type I. With the proposed prognostic classification system, the authors predicted the subtypes of the 187 cases of type III BA in a testing dataset collected from the whole year of 2020. The p-value computed from the log-rank testing for the Kaplan-Meier survival curves of the predicted two testing groups was 0.0113.

CONCLUSIONS

This classification system would be a convenient tool to choose appropriate treatment and accelerate the choice-making between clinicians and infant patients.

Are the Post-transplant Outcomes of Kasai's Early Failure and Late Failure Comparable to the Primary Liver Transplantation?

It is uncertain whether prior Kasai procedures negatively impact the outcomes of liver transplantation (LT). The prior meta-analysis did not distinguish between Kasai early failure (K-EF) and late failure (K-LF). Numerous studies have been recently published; therefore, we perform a systematic review and meta-analysis. We searched PubMed and Embase databases to identify studies comparing the outcomes of biliary atresia (BA) patients undergoing primary LT versus patients with prior Kasai procedures. Subgroup analysis was done at the time of Kasai failure (early vs. late). Twenty-five studies comprising 6,408 patients receiving LT were included in the analysis. We found a statistically significant increase in one-year graft survival in K-LF versus primary liver transplant (pLT) (P = 0.0003). One-year patient survival was also increased in K-LF, although not statistically significant (P = 0.09). No difference in the one- and five-year graft and patient survival, reoperation rate, infection, and biliary complication was seen in pLT vs overall prior Kasai (K-EF and K-LF). These results suggest that prior kasai procedure does not negatively impact the outcome of LT. In addition, BA patients with prior Kasai undergoing LT later in life tend to perform better than primary liver transplants.

Early life growth and developmental trajectory in children with biliary atresia undergoing primary liver transplantation

Objective

To clarify the early growth and developmental characteristics of children with biliary atresia (BA) undergoing primary liver transplantation (pLT).

Methods

A prospective cohort study, which specifically focused on BA-pLT children, was conducted after the diagnosis of BA by following the children at the time of pLT and 1, 3, 5, 7 months and 1 year after pLT for growth and developmental monitoring. The growth parameters were calculated according to the WHO standard, and the developmental status was assessed using Denver Developmental Screening Tests.

Results

A total of 48 BA children who received pLT at the age of 5.00 ± 0.94 months were analyzed. The weight-for-age Z-value (Z_W) and length-for-age Z-value (Z_L) were higher than the head circumference-for-age Z-value (Z_HC) at pLT (P = 0.002 and 0.02), but they were all lower than the WHO growth standard (Z = 0) (P < 0.001). The Z_W and Z_HC decreased first and then returned to the population level at 1 year after pLT, while the Z_L only returned to the preoperative status and was lower than the Z_W and Z_HC (P < 0.001). Developmental screening showed that 35% (17/48) of the children were defined as suspicious and 15% (7/48) were abnormal at 1-4 months after pLT, the most likely time to be suspected of developmental delay. At 1 year after pLT, gross motor skill delay still existed (12/45, 27%), and language skill delay began to appear (4/45, 9%).

Conclusions

BA-pLT children suffer from growth and developmental problems. Low Z_HC is the main growth problem before pLT, while low Z_L is the problem after pLT. Developmental delays are significant after pLT, especially in motor and language skills. The current study suggested that further studies are warranted to clarify the long-term growth and developmental outcomes of BA-pLT children, to compare them with children undergoing the Kasai procedure and to explore their influencing factors and possible mechanisms.

Identifying and validating molecular subtypes of biliary atresia using multiple high-throughput data integration analysis

Background

Biliary atresia (BA) is the most common form of severe neonatal obstructive jaundice. The etiology and pathogenesis of BA are multifactorial, and different factors may interact to produce heterogeneous pathological features and clinical outcomes. Despite different pathological features, all patients received the same treatment strategy. This study performed integrative clustering analysis based on multiple high-throughput datasets to identify the molecular subtypes of BA and provide a new treatment strategy for personalized treatment of the different subtypes of BA.

Methods

The RNA sequence dataset GSE122340 in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was downloaded; 31 BA and 20 control normal liver tissues were collected at our center for transcriptome sequencing, and clinical and follow-up data of BA patients were available. Molecular subtypes were identified using integrated unsupervised cluster analysis involving gene expression, biliary fibrosis, and immune enrichment scores based on the transcriptome dataset, and the results were validated using independent datasets.

Results

Based on the results of the integrated unsupervised clustering analysis, four molecular subtypes were identified: autoimmune, inflammatory, virus infection-related, and oxidative stress. The autoimmune subtype with a moderate prognosis was dominated by autoimmune responses and morphogenesis, such as the Fc-gamma receptor and Wnt signaling pathway. The biological process of the inflammatory subtype was mainly the inflammatory response, with the best prognosis, youngest age at surgery, and lowest liver stiffness. The virus infection-related subtype had the worst prognosis and was enriched for a variety of biological processes such as viral infection, immunity, anatomical morphogenesis, and epithelial mesenchymal transition. The oxidative stress subtype was characterized by the activation of oxidative stress and various metabolic pathways and had a poor prognosis. The above results were verified independently in the validation sets.

Conclusions

This study identified four molecular subtypes of BA with distinct prognosis and biological processes. According to the pathological characteristics of the different subtypes, individualized perioperative and preoperative treatment may be a new strategy to improve the prognosis of BA.

Kasai Procedure in Patients Older Than 90 Days: Worth a Cut

INTRODUCTION

 Age at Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE) has been identified as a predictive factor for native-liver survival in patients with biliary atresia (BA). Outcomes of pediatric liver transplantation (LT) have improved over recent years. It has been proposed to consider primary LT as a treatment option for late-presenting BA infants instead of attempting KPE. We present our experience with patients older than 90 days undergoing KPE.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

 A retrospective chart review of patients with BA undergoing KPE at our institution between January 2010 and December 2020 was performed. Patients 90 days and older at the time of surgery were included. Patients' characteristics, perioperative data, and follow-up results were collected. Eleven patients matched the inclusion criteria. Mean age at KPE was 108 days (range: 90-133 days).

RESULTS

 Postoperative jaundice clearance (bilirubin < 2 mg/dL) at 2-year follow-up was achieved in three patients (27%). Eight patients (73%) received a liver transplant at a mean of 626 days (range: 57-2,109 days) after KPE. Four patients (36%) were transplanted within 12 months post-KPE. Two patients died 237 and 139 days after KPE due to disease-related complications. One patient is still alive with his native liver, currently 10 years old.

CONCLUSION

 Even when performed at an advanced age, KPE can help prolong native-liver survival in BA patients and offers an important bridge to transplant. In our opinion, it continues to represent a viable primary treatment option for late-presenting infants with BA.

Secondary Malnutrition and Nutritional Intervention in Cholestatic Liver Diseases in Infants

We aimed to conduct an updated review on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and nutritional intervention of CCLD and secondary malnutrition in infants. Protein-energy malnutrition, impaired linear growth, fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies, and hepatic osteodystrophy can occur in up to 80% of cases. The proposed pathophysiological mechanisms include insufficient energy intake, lipid- and fat-soluble vitamin malabsorption, increased energy expenditure, altered intermediate metabolism, hormonal dysregulation, and systemic inflammation. The current approach to diagnosis is the identification of the deviation of growth parameters, body composition, and serum concentration of micronutrients, which determines the type and magnitude of malnutrition. Currently, liver transplantation is the best therapeutic alternative for the reversal of nutritional impairment. Early and effective portoenteroanatomosis can extend survival in patients with biliary atresia. Medical and dietary interventions in some storage and metabolic diseases can improve liver damage and thus the nutritional status. A proportion of patients with biliary atresia have fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies despite receiving these vitamins in a water-soluble form. With aggressive enteral nutrition, it may be possible to increase fat stores and preserve muscle mass and growth. The nutritional issues identified in the pre- and post-transplantation stages include muscle mass loss, bone demineralization, growth retardation, and obesity, which seems to correspond to the natural history of CCLD. Due to the implications for the growth and development of infants with CCLD with this complex malnutrition syndrome, innovative projects are required, such as the generation of prediction and risk models, biomarkers of growth and body composition, and effective strategies for nutritional prevention and intervention.

Preoperative risk factors for the early failure of the Kasai portoenterostomy in patients with biliary atresia

PURPOSE

Biliary atresia is managed surgically by the Kasai portoenterostomy (KP). It has been reported by some groups that the outcomes of patients who have an early failed KP requiring a liver transplant (LTx) within the first year of life are worse than the outcomes of patients who undergo a primary LTx. The aim of this study was to identify preoperative parameters that could help predict what patients are at risk for the early failure of the procedure.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients who underwent a KP between January 2008 and May 2018. The following preoperative parameters were analyzed: age at KP, anatomical variant of the biliary atresia, degree of liver fibrosis, CMV status, and PELD score. The main outcome of the study was the early failure of the KP (EF-K), which was defined as the need for LTx before 1 year of age, or BA-related death before 1 year of age. Second, we analyzed the risk factors associated with death without LTx within the first year of life.

RESULTS

A total of 58 patients were included in the analysis. The native liver survival (NLS) was 56.5% and 48% at 1 and 5 years post KP, respectively. Overall survival (OS) was 79% and 76% at 1 and 5 years post KP, respectively. Early failure of KP occurred in 23 (39.7%) patients. OS in this group was 47% and 40% at 1 and 5 years, respectively. On the contrary, the OS of the remaining 35 (60.3%) patients was 100% at 1 and 5 years (P < 0.0001). When we compared all preoperative parameters, the only predictor of EF-K was the PELD score. When we analyzed the cases in the EF-K group who died without LTx, we found that the significant predictors were the cystic variant, a degree of liver fibrosis >4, and the PELD score. Nevertheless, on multivariate analysis, only PELD score was found as a statistically significant variable.

CONCLUSION

Due to bad prognosis found in EF-K patients, we believe that it could be reasonable to offer them a primary LTx. PELD score was found to be the strongest preoperative parameter that allows predicting which patient will likely have an early failed KP. Further prospective and multicenter studies are needed to reinforce these results.

Sequential Treatment of Biliary Atresia With Kasai Hepatoportoenterostomy and Liver Transplantation: Benefits, Risks, and Outcome in 393 Children

Introduction: Surgical treatment of biliary atresia (BA) is still based on sequential strategy with Kasai hepatoportoenterostomy (KP) followed by liver transplantation (LT), in case of complicated secondary biliary cirrhosis. Concerns have been expressed regarding the risks of LT related to previous KP, suggesting primary LT as an exclusive treatment of BA. Methods: Single-center retrospective analysis including 393 pediatric patients who underwent LT for BA from 1993 to 2018, categorized into two groups: with (KP) or without (NoKP) previous KP. Pre-LT clinical condition was estimated considering age at LT, time on waiting list, pediatric end-stage liver disease score (PELD), and presence of portal vein hypoplasia. Post-LT outcome was evaluated considering patient and graft survival rates, and need for early reoperation due to abdominal or graft-related complications (<45 days after LT). Results: Two-hundred ninety-six patients (75.3%) were categorized in the KP group, and 97 (24.7%) in the NoKP group. Median age at LT was 1.14 years in the KP group and 0.85 years in the NoKP group (p < 0.0001). PELD score was significantly less severe in KP patients (p < 0.05). One-year patient survival rates were 96.9 and 96.8% in the KP and NoKP groups, respectively (p = 0.43), and the corresponding graft survival was 92.5 and 94.8% (p = 0.97). The need for early reoperation was more frequent in the KP group (29.8%) vs. NoKP group (12.4%, p = 0.01). The rate of bowel perforation was non-significantly higher in the KP group (8.1%) vs. NoKP group (3.1%, p = 0.11). Conclusions: The sequential strategy including KP and LT allowed performing LT in patients with significant older age and better clinical conditions, when compared to those transplanted without previous KP. Patient and graft survivals were not impacted by previous KP. Although previous KP was associated with an increased rate of post-LT surgical complications, bowel perforation and bleeding did not occur significantly more frequently. Such results support the current strategy based on sequential treatment.

Feasibility and safety of using low-body-weight donors in pediatric liver transplantation

BACKGROUND

Donors with low-body-weight were previously reported to be related to inferior recipient outcomes in pediatric liver transplantation. However, the scarce availability of age and size-matched organs has encouraged us to re-evaluate the feasibility and safety of using low-body-weight donors.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 91 deceased donor pediatric liver transplantation between January 2014 and December 2016, donor weight less than 5 kg was defined as low-body-weight donors. The recipients were divided into two groups according to donor weight. (≤5 kg and 5 kg < to ≤20 kg). Donor and recipient characteristics, perioperative data, postoperative complications as well as graft and recipient survival rate were compared RESULTS: The recipients and grafts recovery after transplantation were comparable between two groups. The recipients receiving low-body-weight donors showed higher risk of hepatic artery thrombosis and small-for-size syndrome, however, these complications can effectively be treated by our strategies. The 2-year patient survival rates were 92.9% and 95.2%, 2-year graft survival rates were 92.9% and 93.7% in Groups 1 and 2, without significant difference.

CONCLUSIONS

Our finding suggested that the utility of livers from low-body-weight donors is a potential strategy to increase donor availability in well-selected pediatric recipients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III.