Mycophenolate mofetil for drug-induced vanishing bile duct syndrome.

Amoxicillin/clavulanate is associated with liver injury, mostly of a cholestatic pattern. While outcomes are usually benign, progression to cirrhosis and death has been reported. The role of immunosuppressive therapy for patients with a protracted course is unclear. We report the case of an elderly patient who developed prolonged cholestasis secondary to amoxicillin/clavulanate. Vanishing bile duct syndrome was confirmed by sequential liver biopsies. The patient responded to prednisone treatment, but could not be weaned off corticosteroids, even when azathioprine was added. Complete withdrawal of both prednisone and azathioprine was possible by using mycophenolate mofetil, an inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase inhibitor. Sustained remission has been maintained for more than 3 years with low-dose mycophenolate mofetil.

Human leukocyte antigen and adult living-donor liver transplantation outcomes: an analysis of the organ procurement and transplantation network database.

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) compatibility has no clinically significant impact in cadaveric liver transplantation. Less is known regarding living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Our prior analysis of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) database suggested a higher graft failure rate in patients who underwent LDLT from donors with close HLA match. We further investigated the effect of HLA-A, -B, and -DR matching on 5-yr graft survival in adult LDLT by analyzing OPTN data regarding adult LDLT performed between 1998 and 2005. We evaluated associations between 5-yr graft survival and total, locus-specific, and haplotype match levels. Separate analyses were conducted for recipients with autoimmune (fulminant autoimmune hepatitis, cirrhosis secondary to autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis) or nonautoimmune liver disease. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate interactions and adjust for potential confounders. Among 631 patients with available donor/recipient HLA data, the degree of HLA match had no significant effect on 5-yr graft survival, even when analyzed separately in recipients with autoimmune vs. nonautoimmune liver disease. To be able to include all 1,838 adult LDLTs, we considered a first-degree related donor as substitute for a close HLA match. We found no difference in graft survival in related vs. unrelated pairs. In conclusion, our results show no detrimental impact of close HLA matching on graft survival in adult LDLT, including in recipients with underlying autoimmune liver disease.