Evaluation of Liver Graft Recipient Workup in Predicting of Early Cardiovascular Events During Liver Transplantation: A Single-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular events (CVE) contribute to serious complications and death after liver transplantation (LT). Troponin I (TnI) level >0.07 mg/L and prior cardiac disease are known to be the independent predictors for posttransplant CVE. We evaluated single-center cardiac workup to predict early cardiovascular morbidity and mortality after LT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We recruited 105 consecutive liver transplant recipients (male/female, 59/46; mean age, 51.66 ± 11.67 years). The cardiological assessment at evaluation for LT included medical history, electrocardiogram, echocardiography, Holter monitoring, and exercise test. We collected data regarding CVE including hypotonia with catecholamine usage, arrhythmia, sudden cardiac death, pulmonary edema, and myocardial infarction within 7 days after LT. RESULTS: CVE during LT occurred in 42 recipients (40%) and after LT in 9 patients (8.57%). Proposed cutoff level of TnI >0.07 mg/L did not correlate with CVE during operation (P = .73) or after LT (P = .47). CVE during LT was associated with arterial hypertension in medical history (P <.001), right ventricular systolic pressure (P< .05), and clinical scores: Child-Pugh (P = .04), Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) (P = .04), MELD incorporating serum sodium (P<.03), and integrated MELD score (P = .01). CVE after LT correlated only with arrhythmia (P<.001) and catecholamine usage (P < .05) perioperatively. Of interest, catecholamine usage during LT was associated with prolonged stay at the intensive care unit (P < .05). CONCLUSION: The single-center algorithm with noninvasive cardiac procedures without TnI assessment is optimal in evaluation before LT; however, medical history and severity of the liver disease are crucial for short-term cardiovascular morbidity after LT.

Troponin I Is Not a Predictor of Early Cardiovascular Morbidity in Liver Transplant Recipients.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular events (CVE) might occur in 20% to 70% of liver transplant recipients, and major CVE are associated with poor long-term survival. Overall, the ability to identify patients at the highest risk of death after liver transplantation (LT) has been improved. Abnormal pretransplant troponin I (TnI) level is regarded as one of predictors of postoperative CVE. We evaluated the number of early CVE after LT and the impact of pretransplant TnI on cardiovascular morbidity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 110 consecutive liver transplant recipients (M/F 67/43, age 53.3 ± 10.4 years, 32.7% with hepatitis C virus). Seven of them (6.4%) were on urgent protocol and 3 patients (2.7%) had re-LT. TnI level was measured at listing for LT and directly after LT; clinical outcomes were observed within the first 7 days after LT. RESULTS: CVE during LT occurred in 51 recipients (46.4%). CVE after LT at the intensive care unit were noticed in 13 patients (11.8%). One patient (0.9%) died in the first 7 days after LT. The level of TnI >0.07 did not correlate with CVE during operation and 7 days after LT (P > .05), but the subgroup with TnI >0.07 before LT had a trend with higher TnI after LT (P = .065). Recipients with hepatitis C virus had a trend for higher TnI after LT (P = .061). CVE directly after LT correlated significantly with Child-Pugh (P = .01), Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD), MELD incorporating serum sodium, and integrated MELD scales (P < .001). CONCLUSION: In our single-center algorithm, TnI with canonical cutoff value of 0.07 was not an effective predictor for cardiac outcomes shortly after LT in our population.

The relevance of intestinal dysbiosis in liver transplant candidates.

BACKGROUND: The gut microbial ecosystem plays an important role in the pathogenesis of liver diseases. However, the association of microbial community structure with the severity of liver dysfunction is not completely understood. METHODS: Fecal microflora was assessed in 40 patients with liver cirrhosis listed for primary liver transplantation (LT). Independent associations between fecal microbial counts and serum bilirubin, serum creatinine, international normalized ratio (INR), and the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score were established in multiple linear regression models. RESULTS: Bifidobacterium (standardized regression coefficient [sß] = -0.549; P < 0.001), Enterococcus (sß = 0.369; P = 0.004), and yeast (sß = 0.315; P = 0.018) numbers were independently associated with serum bilirubin, while Escherichia coli counts (sß = 0.318; P = 0.046) correlated with INR, and Bifidobacterium counts (sß = 0.410; P = 0.009) with serum creatinine. Only Bifidobacterium (sß = -0.468; P = 0.003) and Enterococcus (sß = 0.331; P = 0.029) counts were independent predictors of the MELD score. Bifidobacterium/Enterococcus ratio, proposed as a measure of pre-LT gut dysbiosis, was significantly related to the MELD score following the adjustment for the absolute Bifidobacterium (sß = -0.333; P = 0.029) and Enterococcus (sß = -0.966; P = 0.003) numbers. This pre-transplant dysbiosis ratio (PTDR) was significantly correlated with Enterococcus (R = -0.897; P < 0.001) but not with Bifidobacterium (R = 0.098; P = 0.546) counts. Among the other components of gut microflora, only hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 )-producing Lactobacillus strains significantly influenced Enterococcus counts (sß = 0.349; P = 0.028) and PTDR (sß = -0.318; P = 0.046). CONCLUSION: While the abundance of both Bifidobacterium and Enterococcus is related to liver dysfunction, the size of the Enterococcus population seems to be the most important determinant of pre-LT gut dysbiosis in cirrhotic patients. The H2 O2 -producing Lactobacillus strains potentially ameliorate this dysbiotic state.

Reliability of frozen section in the assessment of allograft steatosis in liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Because liver allograft steatosis is an important risk factor of graft dysfunction after liver transplantation, it must be taken into consideration during graft acceptance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of frozen section in the assessment of liver steatosis before transplantation. METHODS: The retrospective analysis was based on data of 112 liver allograft procurements performed between 2003 and 2012. Hepatic steatosis was assessed in frozen and routine sections. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the frozen section were evaluated with respect to detection of >30% and >50% steatosis. RESULTS: According to routine section assessment, there were 32 (28.6%) cases of steatosis >30% and 16 (14.3%) of >50%. The results of frozen section assessment were underestimated and overestimated in a similar low number of cases, both for the >30% (0.0% and 0.9%, respectively, P < 1.000) and the >50% (4.5% and 0.9%, respectively, P = .221) cutoff. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of frozen section assessment were 100.0%, 98.8%, 97.0%, and 100.0%, respectively, for detection of >30% steatosis, and 68.8%, 99.0%, 91.7%, and 95.0%, respectively, for >50% steatosis. CONCLUSIONS: Considering high positive predictive value of frozen section assessment in detection of >50% steatosis, it may serve as a base to discard the use of graft for transplantation. However, according to the relatively moderate sensitivity of this method, decision of graft acceptance must also be made on consideration of other well-known factors for poor posttransplant function.

Outcomes following liver transplantation for metastatic neuroendocrine tumors.

INTRODUCTION: Metastatic disease is generally considered as an absolute contraindication for liver transplantation. However, due to relatively low aggressiveness and slow progression rates, liver metastases from neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) form an exception to this rule. Given the scarcity of available data, the purpose of this study was to evaluate long-term outcomes following liver transplantation for NET metastases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: There were 12 primary liver transplantations in patients with NET metastases out of 1334 liver transplantations performed in the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery (Medical University of Warsaw) in the period between December 1989 and October 2013. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were set as primary and secondary outcome measures, respectively. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 7.9 years. For all patients, OS rate was 78.6% at 10 years and DFS rate was 15.5% at 9 years. Intraoperative transfusions of packed red blood cells (P = .021), Ki-67 proliferative index more than 2% (P = .048), and grade 2 tumors (P = .037) were identified as factors significantly associated with worse DFS. Notably, loss of E-cadherin expression (P = .444), mitotic rate (P = .771), extent of liver involvement (P = .548), primary tumor site (P = .983), and recipient age (P = .425) were not significantly associated with DFS. CONCLUSIONS: Excellent long-term OS rates support liver transplantation for unresectable NET metastases despite almost universal post-transplantation tumor recurrence. Selection of patients with G1 tumors with Ki-67 index not exceeding 2% and reducing the requirement for intraoperative blood transfusions might improve DFS rates.

[Transferrin and ferritin as laboratory indices of body iron deposits]. / Transferyna i ferrytyna jako laboratoryjne wskazniki stanu zasobów zelaza w organizmie.

The aim of the study was to present the relation between serum parameters connected with iron metabolism; serum iron, transferrin and ferritin. Biochemical data in 126 patients were not compared with microscopic evaluation of erythrocytes. The tendency to decrease of serum transferrin with increased of serum ferritin was found. Significant relations between those proteins and serum iron were observed only in patients with very low ferritin values. It can be concluded that ferritin and transferrin may be considered as independent diagnostic in differential diagnosis of real (latent) and false iron depletion.