Endogenous protease inhibitor uptake within the graft during reperfusion in human liver transplantation

Acetaminophen Oxidation and Inflammatory Markers - A Review of Hepatic Molecular Mechanisms and Preclinical Studies

Acetaminophen is a widely used analgesic for pain management, especially useful in chronic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. However, easy access to this medicine has increased the occurrence of episodes of poisoning. Patients often develop severe liver damage, which may quickly lead to death. Consequently, numerous studies have been conducted to identify new biomarkers that allow the prediction of the degree of acetaminophen intoxication and thus intervene in a timely manner to save patients' lives. This review highlights the main mechanisms of the induction and progression of liver damage arising from acetaminophen poisoning. In addition, we have discussed the possibility of using new clinical biomarkers for detecting acetaminophen poisoning.

Graft glycocalyx degradation in human liver transplantation

OBJECTIVE

Ischaemia/reperfusion-injury degrades endothelial glycocalyx. Graft glycocalyx degradation was studied in human liver transplantation.

METHODS

To assess changes within the graft, blood was drawn from portal and hepatic veins in addition to systemic samples in 10 patients. Plasma syndecan-1, heparan sulfate and chondroitin sulfate, were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

During reperfusion, syndecan-1 levels were higher in graft caval effluent [3118 (934-6141) ng/ml, P = 0.005] than in portal venous blood [101 (75-121) ng/ml], indicating syndecan-1 release from the graft. Concomitantly, heparan sulfate levels were lower in graft caval effluent [96 (32-129) ng/ml, P = 0.037] than in portal venous blood [112 (98-128) ng/ml], indicating heparan sulfate uptake within the graft. Chondroitin sulfate levels were equal in portal and hepatic venous blood. After reperfusion arterial syndecan-1 levels increased 17-fold (P < 0.001) and heparan sulfate decreased to a third (P < 0.001) towards the end of surgery.

CONCLUSION

Syndecan-1 washout from the liver indicates extensive glycocalyx degradation within the graft during reperfusion. Surprisingly, heparan sulfate was taken up by the graft during reperfusion. Corroborating previous experimental reports, this suggests that endogenous heparan sulfate might be utilized within the graft in the repair of damaged glycocalyx.

Donor biomarkers as predictors of organ use and recipient survival after neurologically deceased donor organ transplantation

PURPOSE

We sought to build prediction models for organ transplantation and recipient survival using both biomarkers and clinical information.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We abstracted clinical variables from a previous randomized trial (n = 556) of donor management. In a subset of donors (n = 97), we measured two candidate biomarkers in plasma at enrollment and just prior to explantation.

RESULTS

Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) was significant for predicting liver transplantation (C-statistic 0.65 (0.53, 0.78)). SLPI also significantly improved the predictive performance of a clinical model for liver transplantation (integrated discrimination improvement (IDI): 0.090 (0.009, 0.210)). For other organs, clinical variables alone had strong predictive ability (C-statistic >0.80). Recipient 3-years survival was 80.0% (71.9%, 87.0%). Donor IL-6 was significantly associated with recipient 3-years survival (adjusted Hazard Ratio (95%CI): 1.26(1.08, 1.48), P = .004). Neither clinical variables nor biomarkers showed strong predictive ability for 3-year recipient survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Plasma biomarkers in neurologically deceased donors were associated with organ use. SLPI enhanced prediction within a liver transplantation model, whereas IL-6 before transplantation was significantly associated with recipient 3-year survival. Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT00987714.

Warm HTK donor pretreatment reduces liver injury during static cold storage in experimental rat liver transplantation

BACKGROUND

Organ shortage has led to an increased number of transplantations from extended criteria donors. These organs are more vulnerable to ischemia-reperfusion injury. Thus, improvement of organ preservation is needed. HTK is a widely used preservation solution for static cold storage in liver transplantation. The present study was to investigate the beneficial effect of warm HTK donor pretreatment on liver preservation.

METHODS

Male inbred Wistar rats (weighing 230-260 g) served as donors and recipients (n=6/group). Donors of treatment groups received i.v. 0.01 mL/g body weight (BW) warm (21 degree centigrade) HTK systemically 15 minutes prior to cold perfusion. Control groups received 0.01 mL/g BW warm (21 degree centigrade) NaCl 0.9%. Following pretreatment, donors were flushed with 4 degree centigrade cold HTK, livers were explanted and stored in 4 degree centigrade HTK for six hours. Thereafter orthotopic liver transplantation was performed. Recipients were harvested four hours, two and five days after reperfusion and blood and liver tissue samples were obtained. Blood samples were analyzed for AST, ALT, lactate dehydrogenase and bilirubin. Liver histological analysis as well as tissue analysis for pro-MMP2, MMP2 and pro-MMP9 using zymography was conducted.

RESULTS

Treatment groups showed significantly lower ALT and lactate dehydrogenase levels as well as significantly lower activities of pro-MMP2, MMP2 and pro-MMP9. Histological analysis revealed only minor damage in all groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The new concept of warm HTK pretreatment significantly reduced ischemia-reperfusion injury. The reduced ischemia-reperfusion injury was due to MMP inhibition. Warm HTK donor pretreatment is easy to handle and could further improve HTK's potency in liver preservation.