Trasplante hepático en hemofilia A y enfermedad de von Willebrand tipo 3. Manejo perioperatorio y evolución postrasplante / Liver transplantation in hemophilia A and von Willebrand disease type 3: perioperative management and post-transplant outcome

Introducción: la infección por virus hepatitis C (VHC) ha sido causa de importante morbi-mortalidad en hemofilia, planteándose el trasplante hepático (TH) por cirrosis y/o carcinoma hepatocelular (CHC). Caso clínico: presentamos los casos con coagulopatías congénitas e infección por VHC sometidos a TH en nuestro centro: tres pacientes con hemofilia A y uno con enfermedad de von Willebrand (EvW) tipo 3. Evaluamos el curso de la coagulopatía, el manejo perioperatorio, el consumo de factor y componentes sanguíneos y la supervivencia postrasplante. El factor deficitario se comenzó a administrar en bolo iv directo una hora antes del inicio de la cirugía para alcanzar un nivel deseado de dicho factor de 100 UI/dl, mantenido hasta conseguir el control estable de la hemostasia. Los tres pacientes con hemofilia A curaron su coagulopatía postrasplante. El factor VIII (FVIII) fue 93 UI/dl a los once años, 59 UI/dl a los 13 meses y 109 UI/dl a los nueve meses postrasplante en cada uno de los casos. El consumo medio perioperatorio de concentrados de FVIII fue 175 UI/kg, infundido hasta 36 h postrasplante de media. El paciente con EvW tipo 3 consiguió atenuar el curso natural de su sintomatología hemorrágica sin que se detectaran niveles hemostáticos del antígeno del factor von Willebrand (FVW:Ag) postrasplante. Discusión: tras el trasplante hepático, se produce la curación de la hemofilia A y la mejoría del fenotipo hemorrágico en la EvW tipo 3

Introduction: infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes significant morbidity and mortality in patients with hemophilia. Finally, patients are considered for a liver transplantation (LT) due to cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Case report: we report the cases of congenital coagulopathy and HCV infection that underwent LT in our institution. There were three patients with hemophilia A and one patient with von Willebrand disease (vWD) type 3. The coagulopathy outcome, perioperative management, factor and blood product usage and post-transplant survival were assessed. The deficient factor was initially administered in a direct bolus one hour before surgery with a target level of 100 IU/dl, which was sustained until stable hemostasis was reached. All three patients with hemophilia A were cured of their coagulopathy following transplantation. Factor VIII (FVIII) was 93 IU/dl at eleven years, 59 IU/dl at 13 months and 109 IU/dl at nine months post-transplant, in each case. The mean perioperative usage of FVIII concentrates was 175 IU/kg; concentrates were infused for an average of 36 hours post-transplant. The natural course of the bleeding symptoms of the patient with type-3 vWD was attenuated, with no detectable hemostatic levels of von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag) after transplantation. Discussion: after transplantation, hemophilia A cure and improved bleeding phenotype of type-3 vWD reduced morbidity and mortality. However, potential graft reinfection with HCV and relapsing HCC cast a shadow over these optimum results

Liver transplantation in hemophilia A and von Willebrand disease type 3: perioperative management and post-transplant outcome.

INTRODUCTION: infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes significant morbidity and mortality in patients with hemophilia. Finally, patients are considered for a liver transplantation (LT) due to cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CASE REPORT: we report the cases of congenital coagulopathy and HCV infection that underwent LT in our institution. There were three patients with hemophilia A and one patient with von Willebrand disease (vWD) type 3. The coagulopathy outcome, perioperative management, factor and blood product usage and post-transplant survival were assessed. The deficient factor was initially administered in a direct bolus one hour before surgery with a target level of 100 IU/dl, which was sustained until stable hemostasis was reached. All three patients with hemophilia A were cured of their coagulopathy following transplantation. Factor VIII (FVIII) was 93 IU/dl at eleven years, 59 IU/dl at 13 months and 109 IU/dl at nine months post-transplant, in each case. The mean perioperative usage of FVIII concentrates was 175 IU/kg; concentrates were infused for an average of 36 hours post-transplant. The natural course of the bleeding symptoms of the patient with type-3 vWD was attenuated, with no detectable hemostatic levels of von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag) after transplantation. DISCUSSION: after transplantation, hemophilia A cure and improved bleeding phenotype of type-3 vWD reduced morbidity and mortality. However, potential graft reinfection with HCV and relapsing HCC cast a shadow over these optimum results.

Potential benefits of melatonin in organ transplantation: a review.

Organ transplantation is a useful therapeutic tool for patients with end-stage organ failure; however, graft rejection is a major obstacle in terms of a successful treatment. Rejection is usually a consequence of a complex immunological and nonimmunological antigen-independent cascade of events, including free radical-mediated ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). To reduce the frequency of this outcome, continuing improvements in the efficacy of antirejection drugs are a top priority to enhance the long-term survival of transplant recipients. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is a powerful antioxidant and ant-inflammatory agent synthesized from the essential amino acid l-tryptophan; it is produced by the pineal gland as well as by many other organs including ovary, testes, bone marrow, gut, placenta, and liver. Melatonin has proven to be a potentially useful therapeutic tool in the reduction of graft rejection. Its benefits are based on its direct actions as a free radical scavenger as well as its indirect antioxidative actions in the stimulation of the cellular antioxidant defense system. Moreover, it has significant anti-inflammatory activity. Melatonin has been found to improve the beneficial effects of preservation fluids when they are enriched with the indoleamine. This article reviews the experimental evidence that melatonin is useful in reducing graft failure, especially in cardiac, bone, otolaryngology, ovarian, testicular, lung, pancreas, kidney, and liver transplantation.

Melatonin role preventing steatohepatitis and improving liver transplantation results.

Liver steatosis is a prevalent process that is induced due to alcoholic or non-alcoholic intake. During the course of these diseases, the generation of reactive oxygen species, followed by molecular damage to lipids, protein and DMA occurs generating organ cell death. Transplantation is the last-resort treatment for the end stage of both acute and chronic hepatic diseases, but its success depends on ability to control ischemia-reperfusion injury, preservation fluids used, and graft quality. Melatonin is a powerful endogenous antioxidant produced by the pineal gland and a variety of other because of its efficacy in organs; melatonin has been investigated to improve the outcome of organ transplantation by reducing ischemia-reperfusion injury and due to its synergic effect with organ preservation fluids. Moreover, this indolamine also prevent liver steatosis. That is important because this disease may evolve leading to an organ transplantation. This review summarizes the observations related to melatonin beneficial actions in organ transplantation and ischemic-reperfusion models.

Angiogenesis and proliferation markers in adjacent cirrhotic tissue could predict hepatocellular carcinoma outcome after liver transplantation.

INTRODUCTION: The current staging systems for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) do not sufficiently predict outcomes after liver transplantation (LT). The present study assessed whether some tissue markers related to proliferation and angiogenesis have prognostic value. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression of CD34, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGFR2, VEGFR1, angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, TIE2, COX-2, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in tumor and adjacent cirrhotic tissue samples from 36 patients with HCC (n=10 with tumor recurrence after LT) was determined by immunochemistry. Microvessel density was assessed by CD34 staining and the PCNA labeling index calculated as the percentage of positive cells among at least 1000 hepatocyte nuclei studied in each sample using the computer program ContimUZ. VEGF, VEGFR2, VEGFR-1, angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, TIE2, and COX-2 staining were evaluated by two blinded pathologists. The tumor recurrence rate was analyzed after a minimum follow-up of 36 months. RESULTS: A higher proliferation index in both tumor and adjacent cirrhotic tissue was related to HCC recurrence. The proliferation index in tumor tissue was also related to microvascular invasion. High expression (staining in ≥50% of hepatocytes) of COX2 [P=0.025, odds ratio (OR)=7.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-43.4], VEGF (P=0.01, OR=12, 95% CI 1.8-80.4), and its receptor VEGFR-2 (P=0.02, OR=8.5, 95% CI 1.4-49.5) in cirrhotic liver tissue, but not tumor tissue, was related to HCC recurrence after LT. CONCLUSION: A high proliferation index in tumor and cirrhotic tissue and high expression levels of some angiogenic markers in adjacent cirrhotic tissue could be predictive of tumor recurrence after LT.