Recurrent and de novo non-alcoholic steatohepatitis following orthotopic liver transplantation

Nonalcoholic fatty liver: optimizing pretransplant selection and posttransplant care to maximize survival

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is projected to become the most common indication for liver transplantation in the near future. NASH recipients have concurrent obesity, metabolic, and cardiovascular risks, which directly impact patient selection, posttransplant morbidity and potentially long-term outcomes. The purpose of this review is to highlight strategies to optimize pretransplant selection, outcomes, and posttransplant risk modification to optimize patient and graft survival.

RECENT FINDINGS

NASH recipients are at risk for pretransplant cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and related renovascular complications. Stringent selection criteria identify those patients most likely to benefit from liver transplantation without adverse cardiovascular events yet, the incidence of these events remains high in NASH recipients. High BMI imparts postoperative morbidity because of infections, wound complications, and longer lengths of hospital stay. Aggressive management of modifiable risk factors such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension is recommended.

SUMMARY

Although patient and graft survival in NASH recipients is excellent, long-term reduction in healthcare utilization and outcomes in these patients would benefit from risk factor modification. Periodic reassessment of coronary artery disease and early consideration of bariatric surgery is recommended in this population.

De novo fatty liver due to vascular complications after liver transplantation

INTRODUCTION

The incidence, risk factors, and natural history of de novo nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) after liver transplantation have not been well described. In this report we examined the risk factors and demographic characteristics of 3 patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

During a 16-year period, we performed 900 liver transplantations. We reviewed donor and recipient liver biopsies to identify patients who developed de novo fatty liver following liver transplantation, recording the pretransplantation and posttransplantation blood sugar values and lipid profiles as well as body mass indices (BMI) of affected patients.

RESULTS

Three patients developed de novo fatty liver after transplantation. The primary liver diseases among these patients were as follows: Crigler-Najjar syndrome, biliary atresia, and tyrosinemia. All of the patients who developed NAFLD were children. None of them had obesity; all had normal blood sugar values and lipid profiles (triglyceride cholesterol) at the time of and after the operation. Two patients received liver allografts from living related donors and 1 from a deceased donor. The BMI, lipid profile, and blood sugars of all donors were normal. Preoperative donor liver biopsy specimens showed normal histological findings with no evidence of a fatty liver, but the postoperative liver biopsy in recipients specimens revealed steatosis and fatty liver (20%-40% fat). Portal vein thrombosis and hepatic artery thrombosis were observed in the patients using color Doppler sonography.

CONCLUSION

De novo NAFLD after liver transplantation occurred less frequently than noted in previous reports. All 3 patients experienced complicated courses. Portal vein thrombosis and hepatic artery thrombosis seemed to be important factors for development of de novo fatty liver after transplantation.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: is bariatric surgery the answer?

As the worldwide obesity epidemic continues to increase, the prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and specifically non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) will become increasingly prominent. NASH will surpass chronic hepatitis C infection as the primary indication for orthotopic liver transplantation in the near future. With the evolution of surgical techniques, bariatric surgery is currently recognized as the most effective method for achieving sustained weight loss and reversing numerous comorbidities in severely obese individuals. This review focuses on the potential risks and benefits of bariatric surgery in subjects with NAFLD and explores its role in the management of NASH in the obese patient.

Combined 'en bloc' liver and pancreas transplantation in patients with liver disease and type 1 diabetes mellitus

Liver disease alters the glucose metabolism and may cause diabetes, but this condition is potentially reversible with liver transplantation (LTx). Type 1 diabetes mellitus may be coincidentally present in a LTx candidate and immunosuppressive drugs will aggravate diabetes and make its management more difficult for posttransplant. In addition, diabetes negatively influences outcome after LTx. Therefore, the question arises as to why not transplanting the pancreas in addition to the liver in selected patients suffering from both liver disease and Type 1 diabetes. We report two cases of en bloc combined liver and pancreatic transplantation, a technique originally described a decade ago in the treatment of upper abdominal malignancies but rarely used for the treatment of combined liver disease and Type 1 diabetes. Both recipients are currently liver disease-free and insulin-free more than 2 and 4 years posttransplant, respectively. Surgical, medical and immunological aspects of combined liver-pancreas transplantation are discussed in the light of the existing relevant literature.