Nutrition in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplant

A narrative review of malnutrition in chronic liver disease

Interest in research on malnutrition is decreasing due to thoughts that the problem of malnutrition has been solved in an age of over-nourishment or obesity and defining malnutrition is not uniform. This study aimed to critically appraise the prevalence of malnutrition according to various diagnostic tools and proportion of severity used in previous studies. A literature review was performed using a total of 16 studies published between 1980 and 2020 regarding malnutrition in patients with chronic liver disease. Most of the analyzed studies were conducted before 2010, and only a few studies were conducted after 2010. Nutrition assessment tool (NAT) and nutrition screening tool (NST) to explain malnutrition were distinguished; however, there was no clear distinction between them. NST often used questionnaires while NST used various malnutrition measuring tools. Our results show that, in the age of over-nourishment, reduction in malnutrition in chronic liver disease still hasn’t been significant. Malnutrition prevalence in studies published prior to 2,000 ranged between 13.3% and 85% (mean, 37.6%), whereas that in studies published after 2,000 ranged between 13.3% and 78.5% (mean, 35.2%). Malnutrition prevalence largely depends on the diagnostic tool and proportion of disease severity in the target population. The prevalence of malnutrition in patients with chronic liver diseases varies widely. This big difference is related to various diagnostic tools, mixed etiologies, and different disease severity in different studies. The prevalence of malnutrition was 36.4% (10–80.3%) in all patients with liver disease, 39.9% (13.3–80.3%) in compensated liver disease, and 44.1% (26.7–93.6%) in decompensated cirrhosis. Malnutrition prevalence was 38.2% and 23.7% in alcoholism-related and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related diseases, respectively. Malnutrition also largely depended on the judgement tool. Malnutrition prevalence according to the diagnostic tool was approximately 28–85% for subjective global assessment (SGA), 30.8–78.5% for anthropometric approach, and 21–80.3% for clinical judgment. It became similar over time.

Nutrition and Muscle in Cirrhosis

As the cirrhosis progresses, development of complication like ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, variceal bleeding, kidney dysfunction, and hepatocellular carcinoma signify increasing risk of short term mortality. Malnutrition and muscle wasting (sarcopenia) is yet other complications that negatively impact survival, quality of life, and response to stressors, such as infection and surgery in patients with cirrhosis. Conventionally, these are not routinely looked for, because nutritional assessment can be a difficult especially if there is associated fluid retention and/or obesity. Patients with cirrhosis may have a combination of loss of skeletal muscle and gain of adipose tissue, culminating in the condition of "sarcopenic obesity." Sarcopenia in cirrhotic patients has been associated with increased mortality, sepsis complications, hyperammonemia, overt hepatic encephalopathy, and increased length of stay after liver transplantation. Assessment of muscles with cross-sectional imaging studies has become an attractive index of nutritional status evaluation in cirrhosis, as sarcopenia, the major component of malnutrition, is primarily responsible for the adverse clinical consequences seen in patients with liver disease. Cirrhosis is a state of accelerated starvation, with increased gluconeogenesis that requires amino acid diversion from other metabolic functions. Protein homeostasis is disturbed in cirrhosis due to several factors such as hyperammonemia, hormonal, and cytokine abnormalities, physical inactivity and direct effects of ethanol and its metabolites. New approaches to manage sarcopenia are being evolved. Branched chain amino acid supplementation, Myostatin inhibitors, and mitochondrial protective agents are currently in various stages of evaluation in preclinical studies to prevent and reverse sarcopenia, in cirrhosis.

Biochemical nutritional profile of liver cirrhosis patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

CONTEXT

Liver cirrhosis patients with hepatocellular carcinoma present nutritional alterations and metabolic disorders that negatively impact the prognosis.

OBJECTIVE

The objective is to identify alterations in the metabolism of macro and micronutrients among liver cirrhosis patients with and without hepatocellular carcinoma and their relation to the Child-Turcote-Pugh score and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging.

METHODS

Analytical transversal study, with 31 hepatocellular carcinoma patients and 48 liver cirrhosis patients. Laboratorial exams were carried out. The existence of an association between the biochemical parameters and the disease severity as well as the presence of hepatocellular carcinoma was assessed.

RESULTS

The metabolic-nutritional profile of liver cirrhosis patients caused by the hepatitis C virus and hepatocellular carcinoma showed alterations, specifically the lipid (total cholesterol, HDL and triglycerides), protein (albumin, creatinine and uric acid), iron (transferrin, iron and ferritin saturation), hematocrit and hemoglobin, zinc and B12 vitamin profiles. There is a relation between nutritional biochemical markers and the Child-Turcote-Pugh, as well as Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging.

CONCLUSIONS

Considering the existence of alterations in the metabolism of nutrients in liver cirrhosis patients with and without hepatocellular carcinoma, and also that conventional nutritional assessment methods present limitations for this population, the biochemical laboratorial exams are valid to complement the diagnosis of the nutritional state in a quick and practical manner.

Nutrition in alcoholic liver disease

The liver plays an important role in the metabolism, synthesis, storage, and absorption of nutrients. Patients with cirrhosis are prone to nutritional deficiencies and malnutrition, with a higher prevalence among patients with decompensated disease. Mechanisms of nutritional deficiencies in patients with liver disease are not completely understood and probably multifactorial. Malnutrition among patients with cirrhosis or alcoholic liver disease correlates with poor quality of life, increased risk of infections, frequent hospitalizations, complications, mortality, poor graft and patient survival after liver transplantation, and economic burden. Physicians, including gastroenterologists and hepatologists, should be conversant with assessment and management of malnutrition and nutritional supplementation.

Malnutrition in cirrhosis: contribution and consequences of sarcopenia on metabolic and clinical responses

Malnutrition is the most common, reversible complication of cirrhosis that adversely affects survival, response to other complications, and quality of life. Sarcopenia, or loss of skeletal muscle mass, and loss of adipose tissue and altered substrate use as a source of energy are the 2 major components of malnutrition in cirrhosis. Current therapies include high protein supplementation especially as a late evening snack. Exercise protocols have the potential of aggravating hyperammonemia and portal hypertension. Recent advances in understanding the molecular regulation of muscle mass has helped identify potential novel therapeutic targets including myostatin antagonists, and mTOR resistance.

Parenteral nutrition supplementation in biliary atresia patients listed for liver transplantation

The objective of this study was to determine the impact of parenteral nutrition (PN) on the outcomes of biliary atresia (BA) patients listed for liver transplantation (LT). We retrospectively reviewed the charts of all BA patients at our institution who underwent hepatoportoenterostomy and were listed for LT before the age of 36 months between 1990 and 2010. The initiation of PN was based on clinical indications. Twenty-five PN subjects and 22 non-PN subjects (74% female) were studied. The median PN initiation age was 7.7 months, the mean duration was 86 days, and the mean amount of energy supplied by PN was 77 kcal/kg/day. Before PN, the triceps skinfold thickness (TSF) and the mid-arm circumference (MAC) z scores were decreasing. After PN, TSF (P < 0.001) and MAC (P < 0.001) improved significantly. The PN group had lower MAC and TSF scores than the non-PN group at the time of LT listing. Between listing and LT, MAC and TSF improved in the PN group and worsened in the non-PN groups; as a result, the 2 groups had the same z scores at LT. The PN group had a higher incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding and ascites before LT, but there were no differences in the rates of pre-LT bacteremia, days in the intensive care unit after LT, or patient or graft survival. In conclusion, PN improves the nutritional status of malnourished BA patients awaiting LT, and this is associated with post-LT outcomes comparable to those of patients not requiring PN.

Factors associated with nutritional status in liver transplant patients who survived the first year after transplantation

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Most studies published focus on the evaluation of the impact of nutritional status on the morbidity and mortality during the immediate postoperative period or on the short-term evolution of liver transplant patients. The aim of the study was to evaluate long-term trends in nutritional status.

METHODS

Seventy patients consecutively submitted to liver transplantation were studied. Nutritional assessment was performed the day before transplantation and the 45, 90, 180 and 365 days after transplantation, consisting of determination of dietary intake, anthropometric and biochemical analysis.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine percent of the patients presented with malnutrition on the day before liver transplantation, decreasing to 44% at end of the first year. The prevalence of protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) was 63% at 90 days post-transplant. A significant difference of PCM was observed between patients with cirrhosis and non-cirrhotic disease (53.6% x 100%) at 90 days post-transplant. The pre-transplant nutritional diagnosis and 90-day calorie intake were identified as variables independently associated with nutritional status at 90 days post-transplant. The variables independently associated with nutritional status in the 1-year assessment were pre-transplant PCM and 365-day calorie requirements.

CONCLUSION

No influence on nutritional status was observed for peri- or postoperative factors after 3 or 12 months of follow up. As expected, dietary factors, especially adequate calorie intake, were always associated with nutritional status during all periods analyzed.

Body composition, muscle function, and energy expenditure in patients with liver cirrhosis: a comprehensive study

BACKGROUND

Data describing the nutritional status of patients with liver cirrhosis of diverse origin, as assessed by direct body-composition methods, are limited.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to provide a comprehensive assessment of nutritional status and metabolic activity in patients with liver cirrhosis by using the most accurate direct methods available.

DESIGN

Two hundred sixty-eight patients (179 M, 89 F; x +/- SEM age: 50.1 +/- 0.6 y) with liver cirrhosis underwent measurements of total body protein by neutron activation analysis, of total body fat and bone mineral by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, of resting energy expenditure by indirect calorimetry, of grip strength by dynamometry, and of respiratory muscle strength by using a pressure transducer. Dietary intakes of energy and protein were assessed and indexed to resting energy expenditure and energy intake, respectively.

RESULTS

Significant protein depletion, seen in 51% of patients, was significantly (P<0.0001) more prevalent in men (63%) than in women (28%). This sex difference occurred irrespective of disease severity or origin. The prevalence of protein depletion increased significantly (P<0.0001) with disease severity. Protein depletion was associated with decreased muscle function but not with lower energy and protein intake. Energy intake was significantly (P=0.002) higher in men than in women, whereas protein intakes did not differ significantly (P=0.12). Hypermetabolism, seen in 15% of patients, was not associated with sex, origin or severity of disease, protein depletion, ascites, or presence of tumor.

CONCLUSIONS

Poor nutritional status with protein depletion and reduced muscle function was a common finding, particularly in men, and was not related to the presence of hypermetabolism or reduced energy and protein intakes. The greater conservation of protein stores in women than in men warrants further investigation.

Body composition of children aged 1 to 12 years with biliary atresia or Alagille syndrome

BACKGROUND

Growth and body composition have not been well described in older children with biliary atresia or Alagille syndrome living with their native liver. To optimize nutritional management of these conditions it is essential to understand the normal growth characteristics.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the growth and body composition of children, particularly school-age children, with biliary atresia and Alagille syndrome.

METHODS

A single observer measured height, weight, arm anthropometry and skin fold thickness in subjects aged 1 to 12 years with biliary atresia or Alagille syndrome who had not undergone liver transplantation.

RESULTS

Forty-six subjects (10 biliary atresia/36 Alagille syndrome) were assessed. Biliary atresia subjects were below average in height for age with normal weight and elevated body mass index. Mean fat stores were mildly depressed. The z-scores for body mass index and weight for age were inversely correlated with age. Alagille subjects were stunted and had low body weight and reduced fat and muscle stores. Body mass index z-score was inversely correlated with age despite improved cholestasis.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with Alagille syndrome had significant growth deficits as measured by weight, height and upper arm anthropometry at all ages studied. In contrast, subjects with biliary atresia had normal weights and heights. However, body mass index and weight for age z-scores were lower in the older biliary atresia subjects. Few studies of anthropometry in biliary atresia or Alagille syndrome have included the school-aged child. This study addresses this gap in knowledge and provides baseline data for nutritional interventions in these patients.

Malnutrition is a risk factor in cirrhotic patients undergoing surgery

Cirrhotic patients may become candidates for elective and emergency surgery. This may be due to conditions requiring operations such as cholecystectomy, herniotomy, or gastrointestinal malignancies, more common in cirrhotics when compared with the general population, or to complications of the liver disease such as resectable hepatocellular carcinomas or surgical portosystemic shunts to treat portal hypertension. It has been estimated that 10% of cirrhotics undergo at least one operative procedure during the final 2 y of their lives. Many studies have documented a high risk of morbidity and mortality associated with surgical procedures in these patients, and several factors influencing the postoperative outcome have been identified. Malnutrition, which is frequently encountered in cirrhotic patients, has been shown to have an important impact on the surgical risk. A poor nutrition status also has been associated with a higher risk of complications and mortality in patients undergoing liver transplantation. Few data are available concerning the perioperative nutrition support in surgical cirrhotic patients. The results of these studies are sometimes encouraging in reporting that the nutrition therapy may improve the clinical outcome in cirrhotic patients undergoing general surgery and/or liver transplantation. The limited number of patients and their heterogeneity, however, do not allow definitive conclusions, and more research on this issue is needed.

Nutrition management in chronic liver disease

Liver has a central role in nutritional homeostasis and any liver disease leads to abnormalities in nutrient metabolism and subsequent malnutrition. All children with chronic liver disease (CLD) must undergo a periodic nutritional assessment--medical history, anthropometry esp. skinfold thickness and mid-arm circumference, and biochemical estimation of body nutrients. Nutritional rehabilitation is catered to the individual child but generally the caloric intake is increased to 130% of RDA by adding glucose polymers and/or MCT oil (coconut oil) with essential fatty acid supplementation (sunflower oil). The enteral route is preferred and occasionally nasogastric and/or nocturnal feeding are required to ensure an adequate intake. Proteins rich in branched chain amino acids are given in moderation (2-3 gm/kg/day) in compensated cirrhotics unless encephalopathy occurs when protein restriction may be necessary (1 gm/kg/day). Fat-soluble vitamins are supplemented in large quantities esp. in cholestasis along with other vitamins and minerals. Dietary therapy is the mainstay of management of some metabolic liver diseases and may be curative in disorders like galactosemia, fructosemia and glycogen storage disorders. Pre and postoperative nutritional support is an important factor in improving survival after liver transplantation.

Nutrition in hepatic failure and liver transplantation

Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) is a common problem in patients with end-stage liver disease, and it is universally present in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation. Although PEM is an independent risk factor for morbidity and mortality, it need not be considered an absolute contraindication for liver transplantation. The etiology of PEM in liver disease is multifactorial and includes decreased nutrient and calorie intake, alterations in intestinal malabsorption and/or maldigestion, and diverse abnormalities of carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism. This article reviews the prevalence of malnutrition, its pathophysiology, different modalities for assessment of body composition, and general guidelines for nutritional support in patients with liver disease and liver transplantation.

Sites of conditional essential fatty acid deficiency in end stage liver disease

BACKGROUND

End stage liver disease (ESLD) is a devastating illness. Its protean manifestations involve many different aspects of disturbed hepatic function. One consequence of ESLD is a decrease in plasma levels of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VL-PUFAs), particularly arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the former important for eicosanoid metabolism and the latter for retinal and brain membrane structure. The purpose of this study was to define the VL-PUFA changes in liver disease by comparing plasma and tissue levels of VL-PUFAs in controls to patients with ESLD.

METHODS

Fatty acid profiles from plasma, red blood cell (RBC) membranes, muscle, liver, and fat tissue from ESLD patients undergoing liver transplants were measured and compared with control patients undergoing elective liver resection.

RESULTS

Fatty acid profiles from plasma and RBC membranes showed significant decreases in AA and DHA levels in patients with ESLD compared with controls. However, there were no significant differences in tissue fatty acid composition between ESLD patients and controls.

CONCLUSIONS

ESLD affects the liver's ability to maintain circulating levels of AA and DHA, and thereby presumably RBC membrane levels. However, solid tissues appear not to be affected by ESLD. Although the mechanism for these changes remains to be defined, it is consistent with hepatic impairment of elongation and desaturation to produce VL-PUFA for transport. The present results also suggest that dietary interventions to include preformed VL-PUFA rather than their precursors, linoleic and alpha linolenic acid, would be needed to normalize plasma VL-PUFA levels in patients with ESLD.

Impact of nutritional status on outcomes after liver transplantation

BACKGROUND

Poor preoperative nutritional status has been reported to be associated with adverse outcomes after liver transplantation. Published data are, however, conflicting, with methods of preoperative nutritional assessment and postoperative outcomes varying between studies.

METHODS

We prospectively studied the predictive value of preoperative nutritional status for adverse outcomes after liver transplantation. Assessment of preoperative nutritional status included: body cell mass determination, subjective global assessment, anthropometry, handgrip dynamometry, biochemical and amino acid profile, Child's score, and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Death, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay > or =4 days, hospital length of stay > or =15 days, blood usage > or =36 U of blood products, infection, rejection, and global resource utilization (an index of cost) greater than the median were considered poor outcomes.

RESULTS

Fifty-three patients were studied. Longer ICU stay was associated with lower handgrip strength (P<0.01) and lower aromatic amino acid levels (P<0.01). Longer total hospital stay and the development of infections were associated with lower branched chain amino acid levels (P<0.01 and <0.001, respectively). Acute cellular rejection was associated with lower total body fat (P<0.001) and higher triglyceride levels (P<0.02). Neither death nor higher global resource utilization was associated with any preoperative nutritional parameter.

CONCLUSIONS

Lower preoperative handgrip strength and branched chain amino acid levels are associated with longer ICU stays and increased likelihood of posttransplant infections. In our program, in which nutritional support was provided to potential recipients exhibiting malnourishment, none of the measured nutritional parameters were associated with mortality or greater global resource utilization.

A prospective randomized study of preoperative nutritional supplementation in patients awaiting elective orthotopic liver transplantation

BACKGROUND

Poor nutritional status is common among patients awaiting orthotopic liver transplantation and is associated with poor outcome.

METHODS

This prospective randomized controlled trial examined the effect of pretransplant nutritional supplementation on the outcome of patients undergoing liver transplantation. Of 82 consecutive patients with mid-arm muscle circumference <25th percentile, 42 received enteral supplementation, and the remainder acted as the control group. The supplemented group received a calorie-dense enteral feed taken daily (in addition to diet) until transplantation. Nutritional status was monitored by upper arm anthropometric measurements and handgrip strength. Dietary intake was calculated from 5-day food diaries.

RESULTS

Supplementation improved mid-arm circumference, mid-arm muscle circumference, and grip strength. Pretransplant nutritional status was not associated with posttransplant sepsis or major complications. Preoperative grip strength of <85% of normal values was predictive of increased incidence of posttransplant major complications. Supplementation did not affect outcome, although there were more deaths in the control group (seven deaths before and two deaths after transplant) than there were in the supplemented group (two deaths before and three deaths after transplant). There was no difference in overall survival (P = 0.075).

CONCLUSIONS

Enteral supplementation improved some parameters of nutritional status pretransplant. Dietary intake of patients in the two groups was similar at transplant. Nutritional supplementation has not increased nutritional intake, although this may reflect the importance of regular dietetic input and support, rather than suggesting that nutritional supplementation is ineffective. Supplementation had no effect on outcome of liver transplantation.

Estado nutricional de pacientes internados em enfermaria de gastroenterologia

Com o objetivo de avaliar a presença de desnutrição protéico-energética em pacientes hospitalizados, realizou-se um estudo com 57 doentes admitidos consecutivamente para internação na enfermaria de Gastroenterologia Clínica no período de dezembro de 1996 a junho de 1997. A maioria dos pacientes estudados era do sexo feminino (63,2%) e as hepatopatias caracterizavam-se como doença predominante (77,2%), seguidas de enteropatias (10,5%), pancreatopatias (5,3%), gastropatias (3,5%) e outras (3,5%). O estado nutricional foi avaliado objetivamente por meio de medidas antropométricas e bioquímicas e, subjetivamente, por meio de um questionário sistematizado por Detsky. Ambos os métodos foram realizados pelo mesmo observador. Verificou-se que 68,5% dos pacientes apresentavam estado nutricional aceitável, 21,0% desnutrição moderada e 10,5% desnutrição grave. Em vista dos resultados, pode-se concluir que é freqüente a ocorrência de desnutrição ou risco nutricional em doentes hospitalizados com doenças gastrintestinais, sendo que a detecção prévia da desnutrição protéico-energética é de grande importância para que uma terapia nutricional adequada seja oferecida ao paciente.

Problems of nutritional assessment in the acute setting

Surveys have shown that 20-50% of hospital admissions suffer from nutritional depletion and that there is failure to recognize its existence and significance. More emphasis must be placed in clinical medicine on identifying subjects who are at high risk of developing disease-related malnutrition. There is a need to screen patients on admission to hospital to identify those at risk of nutrition-related complications. More formal determination of nutritional status should be carried out to define the nutritional status of the patient and to monitor changes in nutritional status during nutritional support. The most frequently used tests of nutritional status include dietary, anthropometric, biochemical and functional indices of nutritional status. It is important, and indeed is the skill of the nutritional care team (particularly the dietitian) to be able to evaluate these measurements, as many of them are affected by non-nutritional factors. There is no consensus on the best method for the accurate assessment of nutritional status. Practical difficulties arise with individual measurements and in their interpretation in the acute setting. The aim of the present paper is to identify the most relevant variables to measure in clinical medicine, and to discuss the limitations of their use in the acute setting.

A prospective study on the effect of recipient nutritional status on outcome in liver transplantation

In a prospective study, we have examined the effect of nutritional status, using anthropometric measurements, on outcome in 102 consecutive adult patients undergoing elective orthotopic liver transplantation. Mid-arm muscle circumference was calculated from these two measurements. Patient outcome variables were time spent in the intensive therapy unit, total time in hospital, infective complications and mortality within 6 months. Graft outcome variables were early graft function, peak aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin and prothrombin time. Group A patients were below and group B patients above the 25th percentile for mid-arm circumference and triceps skin fold thickness. Eighty-four patients (79%) were at or below the 25th percentile of anthropometric measurements and 30 patients (28%) were below the 5th percentile. The median mid-arm muscle circumference in group A was 22.3 (range 16.4-28.9) cm and 25.7 (range 21.7-31.8) cm in group B. The medial albumin level was similar in the two groups. There were significantly more bacterial infections in group A (27/84, 32%) than in group B (2/22, 8%; chi(2) = 5.4, P = 0.02). There was a difference in mortality up to 6 months post-operatively that failed to reach statistical significance (Wilcoxon-Gehan statistic -199, P = 0.09). There were 11/84 (13%) deaths in group A and no deaths in group B (chi(2) = 2.8, P = 0.09). Post transplantation, there were significant differences (Kruskal-Wallis Anova) between groups A and B for peak alkaline phosphatase (683 vs 334 IU/I, P = 0.05) and peak prothrombin time [16 (range 13-25) vs 19.5 (range 12-65), P = 0.03]. These data suggest that a significant proportion of patients undergoing liver transplantation are nutritionally compromised and that this has effects on patient infection, susceptibility, graft function and mortality, which may possibly be improved by nutritional intervention.

Nutritional considerations and management of the child with liver disease

Nutritional management of the infant and child with liver disease is highly dependent upon the type of liver disease. Acute liver disease, such as that secondary to viral hepatitis, requires no specific nutritional therapy with the exception that branched-chain amino acid supplements may be indicated in the management of hepatic encephalopathy. Nutritional management of the child with chronic liver disease depends upon whether or not cholestasis is present, since in that condition, large amounts of fat-soluble vitamin supplements and medium-chain triglycerides are usually required for optimum growth. However, anicteric cirrhotic liver disease also presents nutritional challenges because of hypermetabolism, enteropathy, and increased protein oxidation. Certain inborn errors of metabolism that result in liver disease (including galactosemia, hepatorenal tyrosinemia, hereditary fructose intolerance, and Wilson's disease) have specific nutritional requirements. And, finally, the advent of pediatric liver transplantation has placed new emphasis on the importance of optimum nutritional management of the child with chronic liver disease, since improvement of nutritional status in the pretransplant period maximizes success of the transplant. This review will focus on the pathogenesis of malnutrition in childhood liver disease and will provide recommendations for nutritional assessment and monitoring as well as nutritional management of cholestatic liver disease, anicteric cirrhotic liver disease, and the inborn errors of metabolism enumerated above. Specific recommendations for nutritional management of the child awaiting liver transplantation will be provided.

Nutritional and prognostic significance of insulin-like growth factor 1 in patients with liver cirrhosis

Most of the traditional parameters for nutrition assessment have important limitations in patients with chronic liver disease. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) has been found to be regulated by nutrition and proposed as a nutritional marker. Its nutritional significance in patients with liver cirrhosis, however, has not been investigated. Serum IGF-1 as well as traditional anthropometric, visceral, and immunologic parameters were evaluated in 64 hospitalized cirrhotics, followed up clinically for 2 y. IGF-1Z-score averaged -2.16 +/- 1.08 and inversely correlated with Child-Pugh score (P < 0.01), the most reliable composite score reflecting the severity of liver disease. IGF-1Z-score was not different in patients with or without signs of energy malnutrition, as defined by values of midarm muscle circumference (MAMC) and/or triceps skinfold (TSF) < 5th percentile. Moreover, IGF-1Z-score did not correlate with MAMC or TSF. Despite its correlation with all visceral proteins, the reduction of IGF-1 was much greater and more frequent than that of visceral proteins. Patients with IGF-1Z-score < median values (-2.5) showed lower long-term survival rates compared with patients with IGF-1Z-score > -2.5 (P < 0.01). These data indicate that serum IGF-1 is not related to energy malnutrition in cirrhotic patients, while it appears to be a good predictor of survival and an early marker of liver dysfunction. Multiple factors, most of which are related to the severity of the liver disease, may contribute to the reduction of IGF-1. This multifactorial pathogenesis probably accounts for its prognostic significance.

Protein metabolism and liver disease

In health, the liver orchestrates the metabolism of proteins and amino acids. When the liver is diseased, the regulation of protein metabolism is frequently disturbed. The manifestations of disturbed protein metabolism in liver disease are varied and change with disease aetiology and severity. The hallmarks of protein and amino acid metabolism in liver disease are lowered concentrations of circulating branched-chain and increased concentrations of circulating aromatic amino acids with concomitantly altered amino acid kinetics. The changes in amino acid kinetics in liver disease are characterized by increased endogenous leucine flux, an indicator of protein breakdown, and leucine oxidation in the post-absorptive state (when calculated using a reciprocal-pool model and normalized for body cell mass). In addition, the increase in whole-body protein synthesis in response to an amino acid infusion may be attenuated in patients with cirrhosis. These changes are often accompanied by clinically apparent muscle wasting, manifest as protein-calorie malnutrition, and associated low levels of hepatically synthesized plasma proteins. While the pathogenesis of these changes in protein and amino acid metabolism has not been elucidated, altered levels of circulating hormones, known to affect protein metabolism, are probably important. Lowered levels of micronutrients and trace metals and elevated levels of cytokines may also play a role.

Early enteral nutrition support in patients undergoing liver transplantation

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of early postoperative tube feeding on outcomes of liver transplant recipients.

METHODS

Fifty transplant patients were randomized prospectively to receive enteral formula via nasointestinal feeding tubes (tube-feeding [TF] group) or maintenance i.v. fluid until oral diets were initiated (control group). Thirty-one patients completed the study. Resting energy expenditure, nitrogen balance, and grip strength were measured on days 2, 4, 7, and 12 after liver transplantation. Calorie and protein intakes were calculated for 12 days posttransplant.

RESULTS

Tube feeding was tolerated in the TF group (n = 14). The TF patients had greater cumulative 12-day nutrient intakes (22,464 +/- 3554 kcal, 927 +/- 122 g protein) than did the control patients (15,474 +/- 5265 kcal, 637 +/- 248 g protein) (p < .002). Nitrogen balance was better in the TF group on posttransplant day 4 than in the control group (p < .03). There was a rise in the overall mean resting energy expenditure in the first two posttransplant weeks from 1487 +/- 338 to 1990 +/- 367 kcal (p = .0002). Viral infections occurred in 17.7% of control patients compared with 0% of TF patients (p = .05). Although other infections tended to occur more frequently in the control group vs the TF group (bacterial, 29.4% vs 14.3%; overall infections, 47.1% vs 21.4%), these differences were not statistically significant. Early posttransplant tube feeding did not influence hospitalization costs, hours on the ventilator, lengths of stay in the intensive care unit and hospital, rehospitalizations, or rejection during the first 21 posttransplant days.

CONCLUSIONS

Early posttransplant tube feeding was tolerated and promoted improvements in some outcomes and should be considered for all liver transplant patients.

[Role of hepatocellular insufficiency and kidney failure on nutritional management]

Chronic liver disease as well as chronic renal failure are responsible for abnormal nutrient metabolism and high rates of undernutrition. Although surgery is frequently required in such patients, the perioperative nutritional management has not yet been extensively studied in these conditions. During chronic liver disease, preoperative nutritional status and postoperative outcome are correlated. However, nutritional status can only be considered as one out of several factors of the prognosis, including the grade of liver insufficiency and the type of surgical procedure. Thus, it is difficult to evaluate the real influence of undernutrition on postoperative outcome. Similarly, the usefulness of preoperative nutrition is not definitely demonstrated in this condition. The nutritional requirements of patients with liver cirrhosis are estimated to be protein 1g and 30-35 kcal.kg-1.d-1. The duration of nutritional supplementation before surgery may not exceed 10 days. Postoperative parenteral nutrition seems to be well tolerated during chronic liver disease. Although some data in the literature suggest that it may be of interest after liver transplantation, the efficacy of postoperative parenteral nutrition needs to be proven in larger series. In chronically uraemic patients, the effects of undernutrition on postoperative morbidity and mortality have been poorly studied. Infectious complications after renal transplantation are favoured by several factors, including immunosuppressive therapy and malnutrition. The efficacy as well as the tolerance of perioperative nutritional support in patients with chronic renal failure are poorly known. In haemodialysis patients, candidates for renal graft, the nutritional status is usually well preserved when the recommended nutritional needs are provided: proteins 1.2-1.4 g and 35-40 kcal.kg-1.d-1.

Short-term changes in lipid and protein metabolism in liver transplants from living-related donors

The effects of liver transplantation involving living-related donors were investigated in 20 pediatric cases in terms of protein and lipid metabolism using the extent of cholesterol esterification and the levels of total cholesterol, lecithine-cholesterol acyltransferase, apolipoprotein A-I, cholinesterase, and rapid turnover proteins as parameters. Cholesterol esterification increased from preoperative values of 39% +/- 4% to 67% +/- 1% (mean +/- SEM, n = 17) at 3 weeks after liver transplantation in successful cases but decreased from the preoperative value of 45% +/- 10% to 26% +/- 6% (n = 3) at 3 weeks in unsuccessful cases. Cholinesterase, transferrin, and prealbumin levels remained low after 3 weeks even in successful cases. Patients who had partial liver transplantations from living-related donors showed rapid recovery of cholesterol esterification. However, patients with graft livers required an extensive period before normalization of protein metabolism occurred, indicating the necessity for long-term follow-up of recipient development.

Nutritional support for the patient with pancreatobiliary disease

Critically ill patients with severe pancreatobiliary disease exhibit multiple nutritional alterations compounded by the stress response. Acute pancreatitis may present as a life-threatening illness; patients are likely to be hypermetabolic and may have hyperglycemia and hypocalcemia. Nutritional support from parenteral or enteral feeding will probably be required in patients presenting with three or more positive risk factors as determined by Ranson criteria. Nutritional therapies for liver disease vary according to the specific disorder manifested. Patients with fulminant hepatic failure need to be monitored for profound hypoglycemia. Encephalopathy may develop in patients with acute-on-chronic liver disease, necessitating a protein restriction. Patients undergoing liver transplant are a perioperative challenge due to the combination of preoperative malnutrition, an extensive surgical procedure, and postoperative stress. Such patients require individualized assessment and management.

Nutrition management of the hepatic transplant patient

Patients who are candidates for liver transplantation are predisposed to severe nutritional depletion because of their underlying hepatic dysfunction. Nutrition-associated complications, particularly infection and poor wound healing, are common causes of morbidity and mortality among adults with chronic liver disease and malignancy who are referred for liver transplantation. During the preoperative period, maintenance or repletive nutrition is provided to the patient with hepatic failure. The patient's postoperative period is characterized by the catabolic response to a major operation, the progressive improvement of hepatic graft function, and the persistent compensatory renal abnormalities that are associated with liver failure. The nutrition management of the patient with liver failure has been well described. Nutrition intervention during the intraoperative and postoperative periods remains enigmatic. The following case report describes the nutrition management of a liver transplant recipient in the intraoperative and postoperative periods.

A review of nutrition support for transplant patients

Renal, hepatic, and cardiac transplantation are now recognized as acceptable methods for treating end-stage organ failure. Obtaining optimum results in such patients requires not only skillful surgical technique and postoperative immunosuppression but also stabilization of the patient preoperatively. This stabilization includes a number of physiologic parameters. One of the most important of these is the correction of preexisting nutritional deficits. Each type of end-stage organ disease creates unique nutritional problems. This article reviews these deficiencies and makes recommendations as to the appropriate nutrition protocols that can optimize results in the patient who undergoes organ transplantation.

Should retransplantation still be considered for primary non-function after liver transplantation?

Primary non-function (PNF) of a transplanted liver is a postoperative condition characterized by absence of hepatic recovery due to various insults during harvesting, preservation or revascularization. Until recently early retransplantation (RTx) has been considered the policy of choice. Results of RTx for PNF are unsatisfactory (1-year survival rates ranging from 0 to 34%). The management of PNF by medical care without RTx with a recovery rate of 80% and a 1-year actuarial survival rate of 50% is reported for a series of 33 consecutive liver transplants. The guidelines for the medical care management are given and the results are discussed.

The role of albumin in human physiology and pathophysiology, Part III: Albumin and disease states

The serum albumin level is one of several clinical parameters of the status of general health. There is a marked correlation between low albumin levels and the incidence of morbidity and mortality in hospitalized patients. Therefore, it is not surprising to find that hypoalbuminemia is a common finding among hospitalized patients. This results from alterations in the catabolic or anabolic rates, losses of albumin, or redistribution between the various fluid compartments of the body. Somewhat less well defined than the role of albumin as a prognostic indicator is its role in compounding pathophysiology. Hypoalbuminemia is known to be associated with delayed wound healing. The hypoalbuminemic state interferes with the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Qualitative changes in the albumin molecule which occur in renal disease may damage the nephron. Low serum albumin levels may adversely affect the coagulation system. Further investigation into the role of albumin in pathophysiology is warranted.

Calcium absorption in bone disease associated with chronic cholestasis during childhood

Fractional absorption of calcium was determined in 9 children aged 4.9 to 16.9 yr with chronic cholestatic liver disease to determine the role of calcium malabsorption in the development of metabolic bone disease. Radiological evidence of rickets was absent in all patients, but bone density, measured by single beam photon absorptiometry of the distal radius, was reduced in eight of nine subjects. Serum calcium and phosphorus concentrations were normal in all except one subject. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was decreased compared with controls in only one of nine patients, but serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentrations were diminished in seven of nine subjects. In all subjects, dietary calcium and phosphorus intakes were greater than 80% of the RDA. Fractional absorption of calcium, determined by oral and intravenous administration of stable calcium isotopes, was similar in cholestatic compared with control subjects (37.1% +/- 12.5% vs. 34.0% +/- 16.4%). In the cholestatic subjects, calcium absorption correlated with serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (r = 0.871, p less than 0.002) but not 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations. Calcium balance, assessed by the duplicate diet method, was positive in four of five subjects. Anthropometric measurements were performed to examine the relationship between nutritional status and bone mineral content. Heights of all subjects were less than or equal to the 10th percentile and fat stores and somatic protein stores were less than the 25th percentile in six of nine subjects. We conclude that factors other than calcium malabsorption and decreased serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration contribute to diminished bone mass in children with cholestatic liver disease.

Nutritional support after liver transplantation: a randomized prospective study

Nutritional support in patients with advanced cirrhosis is difficult due to protein, fluid and salt restrictions. Successful liver transplantation should improve nutrient tolerance. We randomly assigned 28 hypoalbuminemic cirrhotic patients to receive, immediately after liver transplantation, one of three regimens: group 1, no nutritional support (n = 10); group 2, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) (35 kcal/kg/day) with standard amino acids (1.5 g/kg/day) (n = 8); or group 3, isocaloric isonitrogenous TPN with added branched-chain amino acids (n = 10). Therapy was continued for 7 days posttransplant. Jaundice resolution was unaffected by nutritional support. Nitrogen balance favored both TPN groups. Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) aromatic amino acid ratios were highest in group 3. Coma scores and serum ammonia levels were similar in all groups. Both TPN groups achieved respirator independence earlier; this difference was not statistically significant. Group 1 patients stayed longest in ICU; the difference was statistically significant. TPN with either standard or BCAA- enriched amino acids is tolerated well immediately after successful liver transplant. Positive nitrogen balance is achieved; large protein loads do not worsen encephalopathy. Nutritional support may improve respiratory muscle function, allowing earlier weaning from ventilatory support. A shortened length of ICU stay justifies the expense of TPN.

The physiology of nutritional assessment and therapy in protein-calorie malnutrition

Protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM), in the purest sense, is the result of depleted body protein stores due to semistarvation. A review of the hormonal response to simple semistarvation illustrates the elegant adaptive ability of the body to respond to an inadequate diet. By contrast, the body's metabolic response to an injury or illness stimulus is a dynamic process orchestrated by monokines and hormones. Although the injury response, strictly speaking, is not synonymous with PCM, the resultant increased energy expenditure, anorexia, and potential for skeletal muscle breakdown can result in an even more rapid depletion of body protein stores. Ultimately, the need for nutritional support depends on the amount of recent weight loss, anticipated time of insufficient oral intake, and the degree of stress. A discussion of basic concepts of anthropometry precedes examples of advantages and disadvantages of a given anthropometric parameter for selected disease states. The effects of PCM on visceral structure and function are discussed in detail so that the reader can appreciate why the metabolic response to injury may have a very different impact on the nourished compared with the malnourished patient. Particular attention is paid to the adverse effects of PCM on immune function and its antithesis, the beneficial impact of nutritional repletion on the immune system. An approach to refeeding discusses indications for initiation of nutritional support, choice of route, design of a macronutrient and micronutrient regimen, and guidelines for monitoring. Familiarity with the metabolic alterations of refeeding is key to the mitigation of potentially life-threatening complications of sudden refeeding. Appreciation of the anticipated response to nutrition is important, as the response will vary with the degree of stress. A nearly optimal response can be expected with appropriate nutrition in the nonstressed semistarved patient, whereas inefficient repletion is to be expected in the severely stressed patient. The review concludes with a discussion of the role of nutrition as a modifier of the body's metabolic response to injury.

Resting energy expenditure is increased in infants and children with extrahepatic biliary atresia

To determine if liver dysfunction in children affects energy and macronutrient homeostasis, we performed 13 metabolic studies in 11 patients (age, 17.8 +/- 5.9 months [mean +/- SEM]) with extrahepatic biliary atresia (EHBA). Nutritional balance, indirect calorimetry, anthropometry, and biochemical liver function tests were utilised. Sixty-four percent of the energy losses were in the form of stool fat. Energy expenditure (68 kcal/kg/d) was 29% higher than normal (P less than 0.0025). Only one third of the metabolisable energy intake (37 kcal/kg/d) was stored in the body for new tissue synthesis. In spite of the bountiful protein intake for age, the increased protein oxidation (2g/kg/d) resulted in a virtually zero mean nitrogen balance. In addition, four patients oxidised endogenous protein as well. The respiratory quotient was 0.96, and did not change significantly between pre- and post-meal measurements, suggesting a predominant utilisation of carbohydrate for energy metabolism. Net lipid oxidation was severely diminished. We found that the higher the serum aspartate aminotransferase level (previously named SGOT), the lower the net fat oxidation, and the higher the conversion of glucose to fat. These data suggest that markedly increased energy expenditure contributes to the malnutrition of patients with EHBA. We characterised for the first time how severe liver disease in infants and children affects carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism, thus inducing protein-energy malnutrition.

Assessment of nutritional status of patients with end-stage liver disease undergoing liver transplantation

Nutritional assessment factors (including dietary history, anthropometric and biochemical measurements, and evaluation of immunocompetence) were retrospectively reviewed in 74 patients undergoing an initial liver transplantation procedure. The patients were subdivided into four categories on the basis of type of liver disease: chronic active hepatitis (N = 24), primary sclerosing cholangitis (N = 22), primary biliary cirrhosis (N = 20), and acute or subacute hepatitis (N = 8). Our nutritional assessment data indicated that malnutrition was present preoperatively in all liver transplantation groups but that each group had distinct characteristics. The group with primary biliary cirrhosis seemed to have the best hepatic synthetic function despite extreme wasting of muscle and fat. On the basis of all criteria, the group with acute hepatitis was the most malnourished of the various disease groups. Aggressive nutritional support, which includes adequate intake of nutrients and supplementation of vitamins and trace minerals, should be encouraged for all potential liver transplant patients.