Liver TransplantationPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2025-03-26DOI: 10.1097/LVT.0000000000000613
N Thao N Galvan, Abbas Rana, John A Goss
{"title":"CON: LDLT should not be a requirement for pediatric transplant programs.","authors":"N Thao N Galvan, Abbas Rana, John A Goss","doi":"10.1097/LVT.0000000000000613","DOIUrl":"10.1097/LVT.0000000000000613","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18072,"journal":{"name":"Liver Transplantation","volume":" ","pages":"836-839"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143700821","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liver TransplantationPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2024-11-12DOI: 10.1097/LVT.0000000000000536
Spencer C Harris, Sarmed Al-Yassin, Rahul B Chaudhari, Mary Leslie Gallagher, Brian C Davis, Zenaida Malpaya, Puneet Puri, Joelle Lemmons, Michael Fuchs, Jasmohan S Bajaj
{"title":"Tobacco use, cirrhosis, and age are predictors of readiness to change and continued drinking following brief alcohol intervention in veterans.","authors":"Spencer C Harris, Sarmed Al-Yassin, Rahul B Chaudhari, Mary Leslie Gallagher, Brian C Davis, Zenaida Malpaya, Puneet Puri, Joelle Lemmons, Michael Fuchs, Jasmohan S Bajaj","doi":"10.1097/LVT.0000000000000536","DOIUrl":"10.1097/LVT.0000000000000536","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Alcohol use disorder is prevalent within the Veterans Health System, especially in patients being seen in hepatology clinics, and needs a point-of-care strategy. A brief alcohol intervention based on AUDIT-C (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) may be needed for the management of hazardous alcohol intake, but feasibility is unclear. We aimed to define predictors of readiness to cease alcohol intake (0-10, 10 being ready to quit now) and continued drinking after using a brief alcohol intervention in veterans seen in hepatology clinics cross-sectionally and longitudinally over 6 months. A total of 414 men with liver disease (average age of 61 y old, 48% with cirrhosis, 31% with concomitant psychiatric conditions, 44% with tobacco use, and 14% with prior alcohol use disorder therapy) were approached. One hundred forty-four patients (35%) had a positive AUDIT-C (8.9 ± 4.0) and were given the brief intervention. Eighty of these patients (56%) had a high readiness to change, listing \"wanting to improve health\" and \"prior success at reducing alcohol intake\" as their most frequent reasons. On regression analysis, concomitant tobacco use was associated with a significantly lower readiness to quit alcohol score. On longitudinal follow-up at 6 months, 34 (23%) patients were still drinking. These patients were older and more likely to have concomitant diagnoses of cirrhosis and anxiety. Overall, we found that in a large cohort of veterans seen in hepatology clinics in routine practice, a brief intervention targeted at alcohol use is feasible. Older patients with concomitant tobacco use, cirrhosis, and anxiety may need more longitudinal attention to ensure that the initial interest in reducing problem drinking is sustained.</p>","PeriodicalId":18072,"journal":{"name":"Liver Transplantation","volume":" ","pages":"709-715"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142623135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Simplified ischemia-free liver transplantation by providing alternating flow of the portal vein and hepatic artery: Applicability, efficiency, and safety.","authors":"Jiahao Li, Meiting Qin, Yunhua Tang, Jia Dan, Honghui Chen, Huadi Chen, Jinbo Huang, Yongqi Yang, Tielong Wang, Yefu Li, Maogen Chen, Weiqiang Ju, Dongping Wang, Zhiyong Guo, Haidong Tan, Xiaoshun He, Qiang Zhao","doi":"10.1097/LVT.0000000000000545","DOIUrl":"10.1097/LVT.0000000000000545","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Conventional ischemia-free liver transplantation (CIFLT) represents a pioneering procedure that circumvents ischemia-reperfusion injury to livers throughout the transplant procedure. However, its complexity has limited its widespread adoption. This study introduced a simplified ischemia-free liver transplantation (SIFLT) technique by providing an alternating flow of the portal vein and hepatic artery, demonstrating its efficacy and safety. In this retrospective study, 32 patients who received SIFLT and 32 who received CIFLT were included between January 2021 and January 2024. The intraoperative and postoperative outcomes were collected and elevated. Patients who underwent SIFLT had a shorter anhepatic phase (44.0±2.4 vs. 51.6±2.4 min, p =0.03), along with a comparatively reduced intraoperative blood loss compared to those who underwent CIFLT. Furthermore, the SIFLT group exhibited significantly lower peak AST levels within postoperative 7 days (413.1±62.6 vs. 707.5±110.7 U/L, p =0.02). The incidence of early allograft dysfunction, primary nonfunction, and transplant-related complications were similar across both groups. There were no significant differences in the number of Clavien-Dindo classification of surgical complications and comprehensive complication index at 3 months after transplantation. Kaplan-Meier analysis confirmed similar patient and graft survival rates. The subgroup analysis of extended criteria donor demonstrated that SIFLT can effectively reduce anhepatic phase and intraoperative blood loss and can achieve a clinical prognosis similar to CIFLT. Additionally, histological analysis revealed that both groups demonstrated well-preserved livers and bile ducts. The SIFLT simplifies the intricate surgical procedure while ensuring the protection of livers from ischemia-reperfusion injury. This technique holds promise for enabling patients to achieve clinical outcomes comparable to those of CIFLT.</p>","PeriodicalId":18072,"journal":{"name":"Liver Transplantation","volume":" ","pages":"737-749"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142786022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liver TransplantationPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2025-03-10DOI: 10.1097/LVT.0000000000000595
Omar Alomar, William C Chapman
{"title":"Normothermic liver perfusion: Is the juice worth the squeeze?","authors":"Omar Alomar, William C Chapman","doi":"10.1097/LVT.0000000000000595","DOIUrl":"10.1097/LVT.0000000000000595","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18072,"journal":{"name":"Liver Transplantation","volume":" ","pages":"704-706"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143573409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liver TransplantationPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2025-01-20DOI: 10.1097/LVT.0000000000000568
Gabrielle Jutras, Neil Mehta, Jennifer C Lai
{"title":"Differential aging trends among candidates for liver transplant with and without HCC.","authors":"Gabrielle Jutras, Neil Mehta, Jennifer C Lai","doi":"10.1097/LVT.0000000000000568","DOIUrl":"10.1097/LVT.0000000000000568","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>HCC has become a leading indication for liver transplant (LT), with HCC registrants increasing more than 6-fold in the past 2 decades, accompanied by a significant rise in older candidates. Given this trend and the influence of hepatitis C (HCV) treatments, updated data on aging and changing etiologies in older patients with HCC are needed. This study examines age trends, clinical characteristics, and transplant outcomes by comparing older (70+), younger patients with HCC, and patients without HCC. All adult candidates for LT (18+) in the UNOS/OPTN registry (2012-2022) were analyzed and categorized by HCC status and age (<70 or 70+). Regression coefficients compared HCC and non-HCC registrants and recipients by age group. The aging trend among LT registrants was more pronounced in patients with HCC. From 2012 to 2022, the mean age of HCC registrants rose from 58.7 to 62.9, with those aged 70+ increasing from 4.2% to 15.0%. Non-HCC registrants saw minimal change, with a stable mean age of 53 years and a modest rise in those 70+ from 2.1% to 4.7%. HCV prevalence among patients with HCC decreased from 37.5% to 27.4%, while patients without HCC dropped from 14.8% to 5%. Posttransplant outcomes for older HCC recipients remained favorable, with 1-year and 5-year survival rates of 91% and 71%, respectively, comparable to older patients without HCC (87% and 69%). Among over 132,000 LT registrants from 2012 to 2022, the age of HCC candidates increased, with a growing proportion aged 70 and older, while the age and proportion of older adults among non-HCC registrants remained stable. This demographic shift underscores the importance of enhanced frailty assessments to improve outcomes for older patients with HCC.</p>","PeriodicalId":18072,"journal":{"name":"Liver Transplantation","volume":" ","pages":"716-726"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12116243/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143007886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liver TransplantationPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2024-12-12DOI: 10.1097/LVT.0000000000000551
Joshua S Norman, P Jonathan Li, Prashant Kotwani, Francis Y Yao, Sarah Pham, Jasmine Gamez, Neil Mehta
{"title":"Enhancing the prognostic accuracy of the RETREAT score with AFP-L3 and DCP tumor markers.","authors":"Joshua S Norman, P Jonathan Li, Prashant Kotwani, Francis Y Yao, Sarah Pham, Jasmine Gamez, Neil Mehta","doi":"10.1097/LVT.0000000000000551","DOIUrl":"10.1097/LVT.0000000000000551","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The RETREAT (Risk Estimation of Tumor Recurrence After Transplant) Score is a validated tool to predict post-transplant HCC recurrence risk. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) bound to Lens culinaris agglutinin (AFP-L3) and des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) measured at transplant predict worse post-LT survival and may improve the RETREAT score. Our cohort comprised 284 patients transplanted for HCC who were within or downstaged to Milan, with 23 (8.1%) experiencing HCC recurrence. The modified RETREAT (mRETREAT) score assigns AFP-L3 ≥15% 2 points and DCP ≥7.5 ng/mL 3 points. Patients with a modified RETREAT score ≥4 showed a 3-year recurrence-free survival of 73.2% versus 97.8% recurrence-free survival if <4. In comparison, the original RETREAT score had a 3-year recurrence-free survival of 80.0% if ≥2 versus 98.0% if <2. mRETREAT demonstrated a superior AUC of 0.86, compared to the original RETREAT's 0.82, and enhanced calibration and accuracy with a lower Brier score (0.04). The integration of AFP-L3 and DCP into the RETREAT score appears to enhance the prediction of post-LT HCC recurrence. Given these promising results, further study in a larger multicenter cohort is warranted for empiric derivation and validation of a modified RETREAT score, including AFP-L3 and DCP.</p>","PeriodicalId":18072,"journal":{"name":"Liver Transplantation","volume":" ","pages":"727-736"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142807465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Liver TransplantationPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2024-10-28DOI: 10.1097/LVT.0000000000000523
Mohamad A Mouchli, Mohamed K Osman, Bradley Busebee, Timucin Taner, Julie K Heimbach, John Eaton, Omar Mousa, Kristin Cole, Kymberly D Watt
{"title":"Long-term (15 y) complications and outcomes after liver transplantation for primary sclerosing cholangitis: Impact of donor and recipient factors.","authors":"Mohamad A Mouchli, Mohamed K Osman, Bradley Busebee, Timucin Taner, Julie K Heimbach, John Eaton, Omar Mousa, Kristin Cole, Kymberly D Watt","doi":"10.1097/LVT.0000000000000523","DOIUrl":"10.1097/LVT.0000000000000523","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>With longer survival of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) undergoing liver transplantation (LT), the frequency and risk factors associated with vascular and biliary complications in the allograft and the impact on long-term outcomes are poorly understood. To assess frequency and risk factors for long-term outcomes in patients after LT for PSC, all recipients of LT for advanced stage PSC for a non-cholangiocarcinoma indication from 1984 to 2012, with follow-up through March 2022 (>10+ y follow-up), were identified. One-, 5-, and 10-year cumulative risks of complications were estimated using the Aalen-Johansen method, where death was considered a competing risk. Two hundred ninety-three patients (mean age, 47.3 ± 12 y) formed our study cohort. One hundred and thirty-four patients received LT before 1995, and 159 were transplanted after 1995. Over a median (IQR) follow-up of 15.0 (10.3-22.1) years, LT was complicated by hepatic artery thrombosis (N = 30), portal vein stenosis/thrombosis (N = 48), biliary leak (N = 47), biliary strictures (N = 87), recurrent PSC (N=107), and graft failure (N=70). The 1-, 5-, 10-, and 15-year cumulative incidence of recurrent PSC was 1.0%, 8.0%, 23.5%, and 34.3%, respectively. The type of donor and older donor age were associated with an increased risk of biliary strictures. Donor age >60 years was associated with an increased risk of recurrent PSC. Long-term patient and graft survival have not changed significantly for patients transplanted for PSC. Controlling transplant-related factors, such as donor age, prompt identification of vascular and biliary complications early, and long-term rigorous follow-up, is recommended to continue to improve on these outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":18072,"journal":{"name":"Liver Transplantation","volume":" ","pages":"781-792"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142503069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reply: Methodological considerations for predicting HCC recurrence after Liver Transplantation.","authors":"Philipp Schindler, Osman Öcal, Moritz Wildgruber","doi":"10.1097/LVT.0000000000000648","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/LVT.0000000000000648","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18072,"journal":{"name":"Liver Transplantation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144174346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Letter to the Editor: Methodological considerations for predicting HCC recurrence after Liver Transplantation.","authors":"Zhongheng Li","doi":"10.1097/LVT.0000000000000646","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/LVT.0000000000000646","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18072,"journal":{"name":"Liver Transplantation","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144174343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}