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Junger H, Knoppke B, Schurr L, Brennfleck FW, Grothues D, Melter M, Geissler EK, Schlitt HJ, Brunner SM, Goetz M. Good outcomes after repeated pediatric liver retransplantations: A justified procedure even in times of organ shortage. Pediatr Transplant 2024; 28:e14699. [PMID: 38433343 DOI: 10.1111/petr.14699] [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: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pediatric liver transplantations generally represent advanced surgery for selected patients. In case of acute or chronic graft failure, biliary or vessel complications, a retransplantation (reLT) can be necessary. In these situations massive adhesions, critical patient condition or lack of good vessels for anastomosis often are problematic. METHODS Between 2008 and 2021, 208 pediatric patients received a liver transplantation at our center. Retrospectively, all cases with at least one retransplantation were identified and stored in a database. Indication, intra- and postoperative course and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. RESULTS Altogether 31 patients (14.9%) received a reLT. In 22 cases only one reLT was done, 8 patients received 2 reLTs and 1 patient needed a fourth graft. Median age for primary transplantation, first, second and third reLT was 14 (range: 1-192 months), 60.5 (range: 1-215 months), 58.5 (range: 14-131 months) and 67 months, respectively. Although biliary atresia (42%) and acute liver failure (23%) represented the main indications for the primary liver transplantation, acute and chronic graft failure (1st reLT: 36%, 2nd reLT: 38%), hepatic artery thrombosis (1st reLT: 29%, 2nd reLT: 25%, 3rd reLT: 100%) and biliary complications (1st reLT: 26%, 2nd reLT: 37%) were the most frequent indications for reLT. OS was 81.8% for patients with 1 reLT, 87.5% with 2 reLTs and 100% with 3 reLTs. CONCLUSION Pediatric liver retransplantation is possible with a good outcome even after multiple retransplantations in specialized centers. Nevertheless, careful patient and graft selection, as well as good preoperative conditioning, are essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Junger
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Birgit Knoppke
- University Children's Hospital Regensburg (KUNO), University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Leonhard Schurr
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Frank W Brennfleck
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Surgery, Helios Klinikum Meiningen, Meiningen, Germany
| | - Dirk Grothues
- University Children's Hospital Regensburg (KUNO), University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Michael Melter
- University Children's Hospital Regensburg (KUNO), University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Edward K Geissler
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Hans J Schlitt
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Stefan M Brunner
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Markus Goetz
- Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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Bosselmann EA, Engel B, Hartleben B, Wedemeyer H, Jaeckel E, Maasoumy B, Potthoff A, Zender S, Taubert R. Prospective comparison of liver stiffness measurement methods in surveillance biopsies after liver transplantation. FRONTIERS IN TRANSPLANTATION 2023; 2:1148195. [PMID: 38993851 PMCID: PMC11235307 DOI: 10.3389/frtra.2023.1148195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Background Liver stiffness measurements (LSMs) have proven useful for non-invasive detection of fibrosis. Previous studies of LSMs after transplantation were performed in cohorts dominated by hepatitis C reinfections and indication biopsies for the evaluation of graft dysfunction. However, the diagnostic fidelity of LSMs for fibrosis is biased by inflammation e.g., during replicative hepatitis C or rejection. Materials and methods The current study aimed for a head-to-head comparison of two different LSMs, acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) and transient elastography (TE), and a determination of cut-off values for the detection of advanced fibrosis (any LAF score component ≥2) in grafts undergoing surveillance biopsies (svLbx) without recurrent hepatitis C. Results 103 svLbx were paired with valid LSMs at time of biopsy. AUROC analyses showed significant positive correlation with fibrosis for both methods (TE: AUROC = 0.819 (p < 0.001; 95%CI: 0.717-0.921); ARFI: AUROC = 0.771 (p = 0.001; 95%CI: 0.652-0.890). Patients were randomly assigned to training and validation cohorts for both LSM methods. Cut-off values were determined at 1.29 m/s (ARFI) and at 7.5 kPa (TE) in training cohorts. Sensitivity and specificity in training and validation cohorts were: TE: SEN 0.818 and 0.5; SPE 0.742 and 0.885; ARFI: SEN 0.818 and 1.0; SPE 0.75 and 0.586. LSMs were not associated with BANFF criteria for relevant graft injury. Conclusion LSM is a good non-invasive tool to screen for advanced graft fibrosis but not for relevant graft injury in patients with (near) normal liver enzymes. Fibrosis cut-off values identified and validated in svLbx were lower than in previous cohorts using indication biopsies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Bosselmann
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Bastian Engel
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Björn Hartleben
- Institute for Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Heiner Wedemeyer
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Elmar Jaeckel
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Benjamin Maasoumy
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Andrej Potthoff
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Steffen Zender
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Richard Taubert
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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3
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Engel B, Falk Villesen I, Fisker Nielsen MJ, Karsdal M, Taubert R, Jaeckel E, Leeming DJ. Quantification of extracellular matrix remodeling for the non-invasive identification of graft fibrosis after liver transplantation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6103. [PMID: 37055472 PMCID: PMC10101979 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33100-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Detecting patients with early post-transplant fibrosis after liver transplantation (LT) is very important. Non-invasive tests are needed to avoid liver biopsies. We aimed to detect fibrosis in liver transplant recipients (LTR) using extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling biomarkers. ECM biomarkers for type III (PRO-C3), IV (PRO-C4), VI (PRO-C6) and XVIII (PRO-C18L) collagen formation and type IV collagen degradation (C4M) were measured by ELISA in prospectively collected, cryopreserved plasma samples (n = 100) of LTR with paired liver biopsies from a protocol biopsy program. Fibrosis ≥ F2 was present in 29% of patients (median 44 months post-LT). APRI and FIB-4 neither identified significant fibrosis nor were correlated with histopathological fibrosis scores, while ECM biomarkers (AUCs 0.67-0.74) did. The median levels of PRO-C3 (15.7 vs. 11.6 ng/ml; p = 0.002) and C4M (22.9 vs. 11.6 ng/ml; p = 0.006) levels were elevated in T-cell-mediated rejection compared to normal graft function. The median levels of PRO-C4 (178.9 vs. 151.8 ng/ml; p = 0.009) and C4M (18.9 vs. 16.8 ng/ml; p = 0.004) levels were increased if donor-specific antibodies were present. PRO-C6 had the highest sensitivity (100%), NPV (100%) and negative likelihood-ratio (0) for graft fibrosis. To conclude, ECM biomarkers are helpful in identifying patients at risk of relevant graft fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastian Engel
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
| | | | | | - Morten Karsdal
- Biomarkers and Research, Nordic Bioscience, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Richard Taubert
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Elmar Jaeckel
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectious Diseases and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
- Ajmera Transplant Centre, Toronto General Hospital, United Health Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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4
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Baumann AK, Beck J, Kirchner T, Hartleben B, Schütz E, Oellerich M, Wedemeyer H, Jaeckel E, Taubert R. Elevated fractional donor-derived cell-free DNA during subclinical graft injury after liver transplantation. Liver Transpl 2022; 28:1911-1919. [PMID: 35429207 DOI: 10.1002/lt.26479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Personalized immunosuppression (IS) promises to improve the balance of necessary control of alloreactivity and dose-dependent adverse effects of long-term IS such as kidney insufficiency, infections, and malignancies. The majority of liver transplantation (LT) recipients exhibit graft injuries (graft inflammation and/or fibrosis) that are not eligible for an IS reduction according to current Banff criteria, even when liver enzymes are normal or only marginally elevated. This cross-sectional study evaluated the noninvasive prediction of such subclinical graft injuries in surveillance liver biopsies via donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA). Absolute and fractional dd-cfDNA increased stepwise from patients without histological signs of rejection (n = 26) over subclinical graft injury (n = 61), including subclinical T cell-mediated rejection to clinical overt T cell-mediated rejection (n = 21). Thus, fractional plasma dd-cfDNA was significantly elevated paired to surveillance biopsies with relevant subclinical graft injury according to 2016 Banff criteria compared with those with minimal or absent histological graft injury. In contrast, the presence of donor-specific anti-human leukocyte antigen antibodies was not associated with the amount of dd-cfDNA. The sensitivity and specificity of fractional dd-cfDNA to noninvasively predict relevant subclinical graft injury was rather limited with 73% and 52% at the cutoff value of 2.1% fractional dd-cfDNA. The positive predictive value of fractional dd-cfDNA above 2.1% was 76% to noninvasively predict subclinical graft injury, calculated on the prevalence of graft injury in our prospective surveillance biopsy program, whereas the negative predictive values was not predictive (47%). In conclusion, dd-cfDNA has a rather limited diagnostic fidelity in addition to other noninvasive markers for the assessment of subclinical graft injury in personalized IS approaches after LT in a cross-sectional setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K Baumann
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Theresa Kirchner
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Björn Hartleben
- Institute for Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Michael Oellerich
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Heiner Wedemeyer
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Elmar Jaeckel
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Richard Taubert
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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5
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Hübscher SG, Feng S, Gouw ASH, Haga H, Kang HJ, Kelly DA, Komuta M, Lesniak A, Popp BA, Verkade HJ, Yu E, Demetris AJ. Standardizing the histological assessment of late posttransplantation biopsies from pediatric liver allograft recipients. Liver Transpl 2022; 28:1475-1489. [PMID: 35429359 DOI: 10.1002/lt.26482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Excellent short-term survival after pediatric liver transplantation (LT) has shifted attention toward the optimization of long-term outcomes. Despite considerable progress in imaging and other noninvasive modalities, liver biopsies continue to be required to monitor allograft health and to titrate immunosuppression. However, a standardized approach to the detailed assessment of long-term graft histology is currently lacking. The aim of this study was to formulate a list of histopathological features relevant for the assessment of long-surviving liver allograft health and to develop an approach for assessing the presence and severity of these features in a standardized manner. Whole-slide digital images from 31 biopsies obtained ≥4 years after transplantation to determine eligibility for an immunosuppression withdrawal trial were selected to illustrate a range of typical histopathological findings seen in children with clinically stable grafts, including those associated with alloantibodies. Fifty histological features were independently assessed and, where appropriate, scored semiquantitatively by six pathologists to determine inter- and intraobserver reproducibility of the histopathological features using unweighted and weighted kappa statistics; the latter metric enabled distinction between minor and major disagreements in parameter severity scoring. Weighted interobserver kappa statistics showed a high level of agreement for various parameters of inflammation, interface activity, fibrosis, and microvascular injury. Intraobserver agreement for these features was even more substantial. The results of this study will help to standardize the assessment of biopsies from long-surviving liver allografts, aid the recognition of important histological features, and facilitate international comparisons and clinical trials aiming to improve outcomes for children undergoing LT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan G Hübscher
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Department of Cellular Pathology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Sandy Feng
- Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Annette S H Gouw
- Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Hironori Haga
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hyo Jeong Kang
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Deirdre A Kelly
- Liver Unit, Birmingham Women's & Children's NHS Trust and University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Mina Komuta
- Department of Pathology, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Andrew Lesniak
- Division of Liver and Transplantation Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Benjamin A Popp
- Division of Liver and Transplantation Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Henkjan J Verkade
- Pediatric Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.,European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Eunsil Yu
- Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Anthony J Demetris
- Division of Liver and Transplantation Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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6
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The New Challenge in Pediatric Liver Transplantation: Chronic Antibody-Mediated Rejection. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11164834. [PMID: 36013073 PMCID: PMC9409831 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11164834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) of liver allograft transplantation was considered as anecdotal for many decades. However recently, AMR has gained clinical awareness as a potential cause of chronic liver injury, leading to liver allograft fibrosis and eventual graft failure. (1) Methods: Literature on chronic AMR (cAMR) in pediatric post-liver transplant patients was reviewed for epidemiologic data, physiopathology, diagnosis, and treatment approaches. (2) Results: Accurate incidence of cAMR in pediatric liver transplantation remains unknown. Diagnostic criteria of cAMR were suggested by the Banff Working Group in 2016 and are based on standardized histopathological findings, C4d staining pattern, associated with the presence of donor-specific antibodies (DSA). Physio-pathological mechanisms are not clear for the technically difficult-to-obtain animal models reproducing cAMR. Treatment protocols are not established, being limited to case reports and case series, based on experience in ABO incompatible transplantation and kidney transplantation. Immunosuppression compliance with adequate dose adjustment may prevent cAMR. Conversion of Cyclosporine to Tacrolimus may improve pathological findings if treated in early phase. The association of steroids, Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF) and mTOR inhibitors have shown some synergistic effects. Second-line treatments such as intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and plasma exchange may decrease antibody titers based on ABO incompatible transplant protocols. The use of anti-CD20 (Rituximab) and proteasome inhibitors (Bortezomib) is controversial due to the lack of qualified studies. Therefore, multicenter randomized trials are needed to establish the best therapeutic strategy. In refractory cases, re-transplantation is the only treatment for allograft failure. (3) Conclusions: This literature review collects recent clinical, histopathological, and therapeutical advances of cAMR in liver allograft transplantation of pediatric patients. There are many physio-pathological aspects of cAMR to be clarified. Further efforts with multicenter prospective protocols to manage patients with cAMR are needed to improve its outcome.
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7
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Saunders EA, Engel B, Höfer A, Hartleben B, Vondran FWR, Richter N, Potthoff A, Zender S, Wedemeyer H, Jaeckel E, Taubert R. Outcome and safety of a surveillance biopsy guided personalized immunosuppression program after liver transplantation. Am J Transplant 2022; 22:519-531. [PMID: 34455702 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.16817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Graft survival beyond year 1 has not changed after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) over the last decades. Likewise, OLT causes comorbidities such as infection, renal impairment and cancer. We evaluated our single-center real-world individualized immunosuppression program after OLT, based on 211 baseline surveillance biopsies (svLbx) without any procedural complications. Patients were classified as low, intermediate and high rejection risk based on graft injury in svLbx and anti-HLA donor-specific antibodies. While 32% of patients had minimal histological inflammation, 57% showed histological inflammation and 23% advanced fibrosis (>F2), which was not predicted by lab parameters. IS was modified in 79% of patients after svLbx. After immunosuppression reduction in 69 patients, only 5 patients showed ALT elevations and three of these patients had a biopsy-proven acute rejection, two of them related to lethal comorbidities. The rate of liver enzyme elevation including rejection was not significantly increased compared to a svLbx control cohort prior to the initiation of our structured program. Immunosuppression reduction led to significantly better kidney function compared to this control cohort. In conclusion, a biopsy guided personalized immunosuppression protocol after OLT can identify patients requiring lower immunosuppression or patients with graft injury in which IS should not be further reduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Saunders
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Bastian Engel
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Anne Höfer
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Björn Hartleben
- Institute for Pathology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Florian W R Vondran
- Department for General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Nicolas Richter
- Department for General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Andrej Potthoff
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Steffen Zender
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Heiner Wedemeyer
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Elmar Jaeckel
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Richard Taubert
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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8
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Vionnet J, Miquel R, Abraldes JG, Wall J, Kodela E, Lozano JJ, Ruiz P, Navasa M, Marshall A, Nevens F, Gelson W, Leithead J, Masson S, Jaeckel E, Taubert R, Tachtatzis P, Eurich D, Simpson KJ, Bonaccorsi-Riani E, Feng S, Bucuvalas J, Ferguson J, Quaglia A, Sidorova J, Elstad M, Douiri A, Sánchez-Fueyo A. Non-invasive alloimmune risk stratification of long-term liver transplant recipients. J Hepatol 2021; 75:1409-1419. [PMID: 34437910 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2021.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Management of long-term immunosuppression following liver transplantation (LT) remains empirical. Surveillance liver biopsies in combination with transcriptional profiling could overcome this challenge by identifying recipients with active alloimmune-mediated liver damage despite normal liver tests, but this approach lacks applicability. Our aim was to investigate the utility of non-invasive tools for the stratification of stable long-term survivors of LT, according to their immunological risk and need for immunosuppression. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional multicentre study of 190 adult LT recipients assessed to determine their eligibility to participate in an immunosuppression withdrawal trial. Patients had stable liver allograft function and had been transplanted for non-autoimmune non-replicative viral liver disease >3 years before inclusion. We performed histological, immunogenetic and serological studies and measured the intrahepatic transcript levels of an 11-gene classifier highly specific for T cell-mediated rejection (TCMR). RESULTS In this cohort, 35.8% of patients harboured clinically silent fibro-inflammatory liver lesions (13.7% had mild damage and 22.1% had moderate-to-severe damage). The severity of liver allograft damage was positively associated with TCMR-related transcripts, class II donor-specific antibodies (DSAs), ALT, AST, and liver stiffness measurement (LSM), and negatively correlated with serum creatinine and tacrolimus trough levels. Liver biopsies were stratified according to their TCMR transcript levels using a cut-off derived from biopsies with clinically significant TCMR. Two multivariable prediction models, integrating ALT+LSM or ALT+class II DSAs, had a high discriminative capacity for classifying patients with or without alloimmune damage. The latter model performed well in an independent cohort of 156 liver biopsies obtained from paediatric liver recipients with similar inclusion/exclusion criteria. CONCLUSION ALT, class II DSAs and LSM are valuable tools to non-invasively identify stable LT recipients without significant underlying alloimmunity who could benefit from minimisation of immunosuppression. LAY SUMMARY A large proportion of liver transplant patients with normal liver tests have inflammatory liver lesions, which in 17% of cases are molecularly indistinguishable from those seen at the time of rejection. ALT, class II donor-specific antibodies and liver stiffness are useful in identifying patients with this form of subclinical rejection. We propose these markers as a useful tool to help clinicians determine if the immunosuppression administered is adequate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Vionnet
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College London University and King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Transplantation Center and Service of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rosa Miquel
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College London University and King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Liver Histopathology Laboratory, King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Juan G Abraldes
- Liver Unit, Division of Gastroenterology, Centre of Excellence for Gastrointestinal Inflammation and Immunity Research, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Jurate Wall
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College London University and King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elisavet Kodela
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College London University and King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Juan-Jose Lozano
- Bioinformatic Platform, Biomedical Research Center in Hepatic and Digestive Diseases (CIBEREHD), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Will Gelson
- Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Steven Masson
- Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Sandy Feng
- Division of Transplantation, Department of Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - John Bucuvalas
- Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital and Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute, Mount Sinai Health System, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Julia Sidorova
- Instituto de Tecnología del Conocimiento (ITC), Campus Somosaguas, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Elstad
- School of Population Health and Environmental Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Abdel Douiri
- School of Population Health and Environmental Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alberto Sánchez-Fueyo
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College London University and King's College Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
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9
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Herzer K, Sterneck M, Welker MW, Nadalin S, Kirchner G, Braun F, Malessa C, Herber A, Pratschke J, Weiss KH, Jaeckel E, Tacke F. Current Challenges in the Post-Transplant Care of Liver Transplant Recipients in Germany. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9113570. [PMID: 33167567 PMCID: PMC7694452 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9113570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 10/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Improving long-term patient and graft survival after liver transplantation (LT) remains a major challenge. Compared to the early phase after LT, long-term morbidity and mortality of the recipients not only depends on complications immediately related to the graft function, infections, or rejection, but also on medical factors such as de novo malignancies, metabolic disorders (e.g., new-onset diabetes, osteoporosis), psychiatric conditions (e.g., anxiety, depression), renal failure, and cardiovascular diseases. While a comprehensive post-transplant care at the LT center and the connected regional networks may improve outcome, there is currently no generally accepted standard to the post-transplant management of LT recipients in Germany. We therefore described the structure and standards of post-LT care by conducting a survey at 12 German LT centers including transplant hepatologists and surgeons. Aftercare structures and form of cost reimbursement considerably varied between LT centers across Germany. Further discussions and studies are required to define optimal structure and content of post-LT care systems, aiming at improving the long-term outcomes of LT recipients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Herzer
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany;
- Knappschafts-Klinik Bad Neuenahr, 53474 Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany
| | - Martina Sterneck
- Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf, 20251 Hamburg, Germany;
| | - Martin-Walter Welker
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany;
| | - Silvio Nadalin
- Department for General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Tuebingen, 72016 Tuebingen, Germany;
| | - Gabriele Kirchner
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany;
- Innere Medizin I, Caritaskrankenhaus St. Josef, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Felix Braun
- Department for Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany;
| | - Christina Malessa
- Department of General, Visceral and Vascular Surgery, University Hospital Jena, 07747 Jena, Germany;
| | - Adam Herber
- Department of Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany;
| | - Johann Pratschke
- Department of Surgery, Campus Charité Mitte/Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité University Medicine Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany;
- Berlin Institute of Health, 13353 Berlin, Germany
| | - Karl Heinz Weiss
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
- Department of Internal Medicine, Salem Medical Center, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Elmar Jaeckel
- Integrated Research and Treatment Centre Transplantation (IFB-Tx), Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany;
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Frank Tacke
- Department of Hepatology & Gastroenterology, Campus Charité Mitte/Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité University Medicine Berlin, 13353 Berlin, Germany
- Correspondence:
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Mrzljak A, Skrtic A, Mikulic D, Gasparov S, Lovric E, Jadrijevic S, Poljak M, Kocman B. Liver re-transplantation in Croatia: change in graft histopathology. Transpl Int 2020; 33:1553-1554. [PMID: 32666541 DOI: 10.1111/tri.13701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Mrzljak
- Department of Medicine, Liver Transplant Center, Merkur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
- School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anita Skrtic
- School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Pathology and Cytology, Merkur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Danko Mikulic
- Department of Abdominal Surgery, Liver Transplant Center, Mekrur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Slavko Gasparov
- School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Pathology and Cytology, Merkur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Eva Lovric
- Department of Pathology and Cytology, Merkur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Stipislav Jadrijevic
- School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Abdominal Surgery, Liver Transplant Center, Mekrur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mirko Poljak
- Department of Abdominal Surgery, Liver Transplant Center, Mekrur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Branislav Kocman
- Department of Abdominal Surgery, Liver Transplant Center, Mekrur University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
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Performance of B-mode ratio and 2D shear wave elastography for the detection and quantification of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis after liver transplantation. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020; 32:222-230. [PMID: 31464783 DOI: 10.1097/meg.0000000000001500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the diagnostic performance of B-mode ratio and shear wave elastography (SWE) for the assessment of steatosis and liver fibrosis after liver transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Patients hospitalized for a systematic check-up after liver transplantation underwent the same day hepatic ultrasound with B-mode ratio and SWE, followed by liver biopsy and biological examinations. Steatosis was measured using hepatorenal sonographic index of B-mode ratio and liver stiffness using SWE. Liver biopsy, used as gold standard, graded steatosis S0(<5%), S1(5-<33%), S2(33-<66%), or S3(≥66%) and liver fibrosis according to the Metavir score. The results were tested against two external validation cohorts. RESULTS Fifty-eight patients were included. Mean B-ratio value was significantly higher in patients with steatosis (0.95 ± 0.13 versus 1.39 ± 0.41, P < 0.001). A B-mode ratio cutoff values at least 0.985 was found optimal for steatosis' detection [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) 0.902 ± 0.05, sensitivity 95%, specificity 79%]. A B-mode ratio value below 0.9 ruled out steatosis and above 1.12 ruled in steatosis. Mean SWE value for patients without significant fibrosis (≤F1) was 15.90 ± 9.2 versus 19.27 ± 7.7 kPa for patients with fibrosis (P = 0.185). A 2D-SWE value below 7.85 kPa ruled out significant fibrosis and above 26.35 kPa ruled it in. CONCLUSION The B-mode ratio is an efficient and accurate tool for the noninvasive diagnostic of steatosis in postliver transplantation patients. Yet, because liver stiffness is higher in postliver transplantation patients, 2D-SWE is not reliable in the diagnosis of significant fibrosis after liver transplantation.
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12
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Winters AC, Mittal R, Schiano TD. A review of the use of transient elastography in the assessment of fibrosis and steatosis in the post-liver transplant patient. Clin Transplant 2019; 33:e13700. [PMID: 31441967 DOI: 10.1111/ctr.13700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2019] [Revised: 07/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Liver biopsy is considered the gold standard method for diagnosing and staging liver disease, particularly in the post-liver transplant setting. Given the invasive nature of biopsy, alternate means for accurately assessing liver fibrosis and steatosis are preferred especially as the number of patients with fatty liver disease is increasing. Transient elastography has been validated as a useful tool for evaluation of liver fibrosis, as has controlled attenuation parameter index as a tool for assessing steatosis. It is a non-invasive, rapid, and highly reproducible approach to demonstrate the presence of fibrosis among non-transplant patients with chronic liver disease of various etiologies. However, it has not yet found wide acceptance in liver transplant recipients. There are few published studies evaluating the merits and applicability of transient elastography to assess allografts after liver transplantation. We review the published data on the use of transient elastography with concurrent controlled attenuation parameter in liver transplant recipients and recommend its greater use to follow allograft function over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam C Winters
- Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Rasham Mittal
- Transplant Hepatology, Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Thomas D Schiano
- Department of Medicine, Division of Liver Diseases, Recanati/Miller Transplantation Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Ekong UD, Gupta NA, Urban R, Andrews WS. 20- to 25-year patient and graft survival following a single pediatric liver transplant-Analysis of the United Network of Organ Sharing database: Where to go from here. Pediatr Transplant 2019; 23:e13523. [PMID: 31211487 DOI: 10.1111/petr.13523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
To understand factors contributing to liver graft loss and patient death, we queried a national database designed to follow pediatric patients transplanted between 1987 and 1995 till adulthood. A comparison was made to a cohort transplanted between 2000 and 2014. The 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, and 25-year patient survival and graft survival were 95.5%, 93.7%, 89.1%, 80.8%, and 73.1%, and 92.5%, 86.7%, 77.6%, 68.7%, and 62.2%, respectively. The twenty-year patient/graft survival was significantly worse in those transplanted between 5 and 17 years of age compared to those transplanted at <5 years of age (P < 0.001). For the modern era cohort, the 3-year patient survival was significantly lower in children transplanted at 16-17 years of age compared to those transplanted at <5 and 11-15 years of age (P ≤ 0.02). The 3-year graft survival was similarly lower in children transplanted at 16-17 years of age compared to those transplanted at <5, 5-10, and 11-15 years of age (P ≤ 0.001). Infection as a cause of death occurred either early or >15 years post-transplant. Chronic rejection remained the leading cause of graft loss in both cohorts and the commonest indication for retransplantation 20-25 years following primary transplant. Further research is required to identify modifiable factors contributing to development of chronic rejection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udeme D Ekong
- Section of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Nitika A Gupta
- Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Read Urban
- United Network for Organ Sharing, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Walter S Andrews
- Section of Transplant Surgery, Children's Mercy Hospitals & Clinics, Kansas City, Missouri
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