A Multi-Centre Non-Interventional Study to Assess the Tolerability and Effectiveness of Extended-Release Tacrolimus (LCPT) in De Novo Liver Transplant Patients.

BACKGROUND: Available tacrolimus formulations exhibit substantial inter- and intra-individual variability in absorption and metabolism. The present non-interventional cohort study aimed to assess the tolerability and effectiveness of the once-daily tacrolimus formulation, LCPT, in hepatic allograft recipients in real life. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted in Austria and the Czech Republic between July 2016 and August 2019. Patients aged ≥ 18 years old received LCPT per the approved label and local clinical routine. All the participants provided informed consent. Patients newly treated with tacrolimus (de novo) directly after transplantation were observed for six months. The relevant clinical variables were tacrolimus trough level (TL), total daily dose (TDD), number of dose adjustments, kidney and liver function, and tolerability. RESULTS: Of the 70 analyzed patients, 72.9% were male and 85.7% were aged < 65 years old. The mean (SD) time to achieve tacrolimus target TL was 6.4 (4.6) days after 4.4 (4.0) dose adjustments; thereafter, TL remained stable throughout observation at approximately 8 ng/mL. The LCPT TDD at initiation was 8 mg and decreased by a median of 41.4% to 5 mg at 6 months. Liver function continuously improved, and kidney function remained stable. LCPT was well tolerated with 24 adverse events in eight patients (17 related to immunosuppression, mostly mild renal insufficiency, and hematological adverse events); two serious unrelated adverse events were reported (atrial flutter and liver dysfunction). CONCLUSIONS: TL was rapidly attained with few dose adaptations after LCPT initiation in de novo liver transplant patients. Liver function rapidly improved, whereas kidney function remained normal. LCPT was well-tolerated in this population.

[Infectious complications related to liver transplants]. / Infekcní komplikace u transplantací jater.

Infection is a feared complication in the process of transplantation. The study discusses sources of infection, screening of infection and risk factors for infection, time occurrence of individual infections during the peritransplantation and posttransplantation course. It describes the most frequent forms of bacterial, viral and mycotic infections. It specifies efficient prophylactic measures that considerably reduce the risk of infection following liver transplantation.Key words: bacterial infection - cytomegalovirus (CMV) - EB virus (EBV) - hepatitis B (HBV) - hepatitis C (HCV) - liver transplantation - mycotic infection prophylaxis - risk factors - viral infection.

[Viral hepatitis C and organ transplantation]. / Virová hepatitida C a transplantace orgánu.

At the Centre for Cardiovascular and Transplantation Surgery, Brno (CKTCH), a total of 638 liver transplantations were performed from the beginning of the transplantation programme on 2/2 1983 to 1/1 2017. Of the overall number of 638 transplantations indicated based on cirrhosis with chronic hepatitis C (HCV), 68 patients (11 %) underwent liver transplantation. Patients with HCV diagnosis were treated both while on the waiting list and after liver transplantation (LT). There was interferon as well as interferon-free therapy used during the treatment. 15 patients received interferon therapy after LT with only 2 of them achieving a sustained virological response 2/15 (13 %). 28 patients received interferon-free therapy after LT. A sustained virological response (SVR 12) was reached by 26/28 (93 %) patients.Key words: liver transplantation - viral hepatitis C.

[Tumours and liver transplants]. / Tumory a transplantace jater.

Liver transplantation as a curative treatment method can be used for selected primary liver tumours, in particular for hepatocellular carcinoma and rather rare semi-malignant tumours such as epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, further for infiltration of liver by metastatic neuroendocrine tumours (provided that metastases are only located in the liver and the primary tumour was removed) and for benign tumours (hemangiomas and adenomas) with oppression symptoms and size progression. Cholangiocarcinoma is not indicated for liver transplantation at the CKTCH Brno. In recent years liver transplants for hepatocellular carcinoma have increased and hepatocellular carcinoma has also been more frequently found ex post, in the explanted livers. Liver transplantation is indicated in selected patients with a good chance of long-term survival after liver transplantation (a generally accepted limit is 5 year survival of 50 % after transplantation). By 20 March 2015 there were liver transplants carried out on 38 patients - in 25 of them was hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosed before transplantation and in 13 it was found in the liver explants. 5 year survival following transplantation is reached by 53 % of this cohort. 32 % patients suffered from chronic hepatitis C. The longest surviving (32 years) patient at CKTCH Brno had liver transplanted for a big fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma, which points to the prognostic significance of tumour histology: the criterion only considered in some indication schemes for practical reasons. Benign liver tumours (adenomatosis, cystadenoma, hemangioma with oppression symptoms) are rather rare indications and the transplantation results are favourable. 4 patients underwent transplantation for infiltration of liver by carcinoid, tumour recurrence occurred in one.

Liver transplantation for neuroendocrine tumors in Europe-results and trends in patient selection: a 213-case European liver transplant registry study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess outcomes and indications in a large cohort of patients who underwent liver transplantation (LT) for liver metastases (LM) from neuroendocrine tumors (NET) over a 27-year period. BACKGROUND: LT for NET remains controversial due to the absence of clear selection criteria and the scarcity and heterogeneity of reported cases. METHODS: This retrospective multicentric study included 213 patients who underwent LT for NET performed in 35 centers in 11 European countries between 1982 and 2009. One hundred seven patients underwent transplantation before 2000 and 106 after 2000. Mean age at the time of LT was 46 years. Half of the patients presented hormone secretion and 55% had hepatomegaly. Before LT, 83% of patients had undergone surgical treatment of the primary tumor and/or LM and 76% had received chemotherapy. The median interval between diagnosis of LM and LT was 25 months (range, 1-149 months). In addition to LT, 24 patients underwent major resection procedures and 30 patients underwent minor resection procedures. RESULTS: Three-month postoperative mortality was 10%. At 5 years after LT, overall survival (OS) was 52% and disease-free survival was 30%. At 5 years from diagnosis of LM, OS was 73%. Multivariate analysis identified 3 predictors of poor outcome, that is, major resection in addition to LT, poor tumor differentiation, and hepatomegaly. Since 2000, 5-year OS has increased to 59% in relation with fewer patients presenting poor prognostic factors. Multivariate analysis of the 106 cases treated since 2000 identified the following predictors of poor outcome: hepatomegaly, age more than 45 years, and any amount of resection concurrent with LT. CONCLUSIONS: LT is an effective treatment of unresectable LM from NET. Patient selection based on the aforementioned predictors can achieve a 5-year OS between 60% and 80%. However, use of overly restrictive criteria may deny LT to some patients who could benefit. Optimal timing for LT in patients with stable versus progressive disease remains unclear.