Reversal of portal flow after acute rejection in living-donor liver transplantation

Portal hepatofugal flow is rare after liver transplantation. We experienced a case in which hepatofugal portal flow was observed in acute rejection. A 6-year-old boy with glycogen storage disease type Ia underwent living-donor liver transplantation. On postoperative day 7, portal venous peak velocity was markedly decreased without portal thrombosis and obstruction of the hepatic vein, and hepatic arterial peak velocity increased reciprocally. Based on a diagnosis of acute rejection, made on postoperative day 8, we initiated steroid pulse therapy. Despite the employment of this therapy, continuous hepatofugal portal flow was observed in the entire liver on postoperative day 8. On day 12, as the liver disorder progressed, the Doppler waveform in the portal vein changed from continuous to pulsatile hepatofugal flow. The patient died of liver failure on day 14. The histological findings of a biopsy specimen on day 9 showed centrilobular necrosis, while total hepatocellular necrosis was seen at autopsy. Hepatofugal flow after liver transplantation is considered to be an ominous sign caused by several factors, and its appearance indicates a fatal condition. Received: December 22, 2000 / Accepted: September 26, 2001     

大鼠肝移植急性排斥反应的淋巴细胞蛋白质组学研究

目的 利用差异蛋白质学寻找肝移植急性免疫排斥反应相关功能蛋白.方法 选取SD大鼠与Wistar大鼠,建立大鼠同种异体肝移植的动物模型(急性排斥组)和大鼠同基因移植的动物模型(对照组);使用组织化学方法 对移植肝脏进行形态学观察;利用ELISA检测受体血清细胞因子;通过双向凝胶电泳分离急性排斥组和对照组肝移植后受体大鼠脾脏的淋巴细胞蛋白质,通过软件比较两组蛋白质的质纹图谱,进行差异点分析;选取差异点用基质辅助激光解析-飞行时间质谱进行蛋白鉴定;选取部分鉴定蛋白通过Western blot法进行检测,验证蛋白质组学的分析结果 .结果 ELISA检测结果 表明,移植术后3 d同种异体肝移植大鼠血清中IL-2和IFN-γ的表达上调;急性排斥组肝组织HE染色切片证实均有Ⅱ a～Ⅱ b级(Banff标准)排斥反应表现;差异蛋白质组学分析共鉴定出25个淋巴细胞蛋白质在急性排斥反应中的表达量发生了改变,其中13个蛋白点表达上调,12个蛋白点表达下调;Western blot法验证结果 显示,其中的2个相关蛋白(β-actin和碳酸酐酶)在急性排斥反应中的表达量变化与差异蛋白质组学分析结果 一致.结论 本实验筛选出25个大鼠肝移植急性排斥反应的相关功能蛋白,其中的β-actin和碳酸酐酶在排斥反应中有重要功能,为进一步系统研究这一免疫学现象奠定了基础.     

肝移植术后发生急性排斥反应受者淋巴细胞亚群的变化及意义

目的  探讨肝移植受者术后发生急性排斥反应时淋巴细胞亚群的变化及意义。方法  选取接受肝移植且发生急性排斥反应的受者作为排斥组(17例),利用倾向评分匹配方法按1∶1比例选取肝功能稳定的肝移植受者作为对照组(17例)。分析肝移植术后急性排斥反应的发生情况,对比两组受者他克莫司浓度。比较两组受者外周血淋巴细胞亚群的绝对值和比例,采用受试者工作特征(ROC)曲线分析淋巴细胞亚群对肝移植术后急性排斥反应发生的诊断价值。比较排斥组治疗前后淋巴细胞亚群绝对值和比例的变化。结果  排斥组17例受者中,4例在术后28 d内发生急性排斥反应,13例在术后29~180 d发生急性排斥反应。两组他克莫司谷浓度差异无统计学意义(P=0.295)。与对照组比较,排斥组受者外周血T细胞、CD4⁺T细胞、B细胞和自然杀伤(NK)T细胞的比例均上升(均为P < 0.05)。肝移植术后早期NKT细胞比例升高是肝移植术后发生急性排斥反应的独立危险因素[比值比(OR)1.774,95%可信区间(CI)1.059~2.971,P=0.029]。ROC曲线分析结果提示,CD4⁺T细胞、B细胞和NKT细胞比例的曲线下面积(AUC)分别为0.76、0.73和0.77。联用CD4⁺T细胞、B细胞和NKT细胞比例的AUC为0.89,当临界值为0.69时,灵敏度为0.706,特异度为0.941。排斥组所有受者治疗后均逐渐恢复,最终肝功能正常,治疗后T细胞、CD4⁺T细胞、CD8⁺T细胞和NK细胞比例均降低(均为P < 0.05)。结论  NKT细胞比例升高提示肝移植术后急性排斥反应发生风险增加,联用CD4⁺T细胞、B细胞和NKT细胞比例可早期发现和诊断肝移植术后急性排斥反应。     

无皮质激素的免疫抑制方案对肝移植后近期急性排斥反应发生率的影响

目的 探讨无皮质激素的免疫抑制方案对原位肝移植术后近期急性排斥反应发生率的影响.方法 采用随机数字表法将186例肝移植受者分为两组.无皮质激素组(研究组)术后均采用他克莫司(Tac)[或环孢素A(CsA)]+吗替麦考酚酯(MMF)的免疫抑制方案,未使用皮质激素;有皮质激素组(对照组)术后均采用Tac(或CsA)+MMF+皮质激素的三联免疫抑制方案.观察术后6个月内两组间急性排斥反应发生率的差异.急性排斥反应的诊断参照Banff标准.结果 两组受者间性别、年龄、原发病、Child-Pugh评分、终末期肝病模型(MELD)评分、手术时间、术中出血量、输注红细胞悬液及供肝热、冷缺血时间等基本资料的比较,差异均无统计学意义(P＞0.05).观察期内,研究组和对照组接受移植肝穿刺活检各9例次,诊断为急性排斥反应者分别为5和4例,发生率分别为5.3％ (5/94)和4.4％(4/92),两组间比较,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论 肝移植术后采用无皮质激素的免疫抑制方案不会增加近期(半年内)急性排斥反应的发生率.     

The incidence and management of acute and chronic rejection after living donor liver transplantation

Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is a good alternative to cadaveric liver transplantation for end-stage liver disease. Herein we report the outcome of 132 LDLTs performed between 1999 and 2005, with special emphasis on the incidence and management of acute and chronic rejection. Among the LDLT population a first acute rejection episode (ARE) was clinically suspected in 24% and proven by liver biopsy in 11%. According to the Banff classification, 50% of AREs were grade 1, and 50%, grade 2. There was no grade 3 AREs. The first ARE occurred between 7 days and 23 months posttransplantation (mean 97 days, median 70 days). Ninety-seven percent (31/32) of the AREs occurred within the first year after transplantation and 3% (1/32) in the second year. Among the patients with ARE, 23% developed a second ARE between 4 and 11 months. A third ARE was detected in 8% of patients after month 18. All AREs responded to adjustment of immunosuppressive doses or steroid boluses. Chronic rejection (CR) was detected in 2%. In conclusion, the incidences of ARE and CR are consistent with the previously reported data. Acute and chronic rejections seem to be mild and easily manageable clinical conditions. Our results also showed a significant difference between clinically suspected and biopsy-proven ARE emphasizing the importance of indicated liver biopsies in the management of the LDLT population.     

Differential diagnosis between graft-versus-host disease and hemophagocytic syndrome after living-related liver transplantation by mixed lymphocyte reaction assay.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after liver transplantation is uncommon but is a serious complication that can be fatal. Hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS), which is caused by activation of autologous T lymphocytes, is also a serious complication that can occur after liver transplantation. Because these complications share the clinical triad of skin rash, marrow failure, and diarrhea, differential diagnosis is difficult. We describe a case of severe GVHD resembling HPS in clinical features that occurred after living-related liver transplantation. The patient who had undergone the transplantation had high fever, pancytopenia, and skin rash 3 wk after the operation. Examination of a bone-marrow biopsy sample revealed the presence of abundant monocytes with phagocytosis, suggesting either GVHD or HPS. Donor human leukocyte antigens were detected in the peripheral blood of the patient by polymerase chain reaction, but this finding is not specific for GVHD. A definitive diagnosis was made by demonstration of remarkable anti-self response and undetectable anti-donor response in a mixed lymphocyte reaction assay using carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester.     

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin is a sensitive biomarker for the early diagnosis of acute rejection after living-donor kidney transplantation

Background

Early diagnosis of kidney allograft dysfunction is crucial for the management and long-term survival of transplanted kidneys. We investigated whether neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), interleukin 18 (IL-18), and liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) are capable of being used as novel biomarkers of acute kidney allograft dysfunction.

Methods

We measured serum and urine NGAL, urine IL-18, and urine L-FABP levels on the first 3 days after transplantation. To assess the diagnostic sensitivity of these biomarkers, a receiver-operating characteristic curve (ROC) was plotted, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated to quantify the accuracy of the parameter. Sections from paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens were examined by immunohistochemistry for NGAL expression.

Results

Twelve cases were clinically diagnosed as acute rejection (AR) by renal biopsy. Urine NGAL was the most sensitive of these markers for detection of acute kidney allograft dysfunction. The cutoff value of urine NGAL was 66.0 ng/ml, with an AUC of 0.79 (95 % CI 0.68–0.88). Sensitivity of serum NGAL was about the same as urine NGAL with an AUC of 0.75 (0.64–0.85). IL-18 and L-FABP were 0.584 (95 % CI 0.433–0.725) and 0.612 (95 % CI 0.460–0.749), respectively. NGAL was more useful than other biomarkers to detect AR of kidney allograft dysfunction. NGAL staining intensity was significantly increased in the proximal tubules of the transplants with AR than in transplants that were not acutely rejected.

Conclusion

Urine NGAL level was found to be the most sensitive biomarker of acute kidney allograft dysfunction after living-donor kidney transplantation.     

Intraoperative assessment of reconstructed vessels in living-donor liver transplantation, using a novel fluorescence imaging technique

Background/Purpose In living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT), hepatic arterial thrombosis and portal venous thrombosis are critical problems that can result in graft loss. Only intraoperative Doppler ultrasound (IDUS) is able to evaluate blood flow in the reconstructed vessels. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of a newly developed fluorescence imaging technique using indocyanine green (ICG) for visualizing reconstructed vessels. Methods In three patients who had undergone LDLT, IDUS was performed after reconstruction of the portal vein and hepatic artery. Fluorescence images were then recorded, using a SPY system (Novadeq Technologies), which employs ICG as a fluorescent imaging medium activated by light. The ICG (3.75 mg) was injected intravenously, then, 10 s later, the images were recorded for 30 s (first photographic recording). Two minutes later, the same procedure was repeated (second photographic recording), and 40 min later, images were obtained without injection of ICG (third photographic recording). Results After portal venous reconstruction, IDUS demonstrated a nonphasic and continuous waveform, with a mean velocity of 52.1 cm/s and a mean portal blood flow volume of 69.5 ml/s per kg. After hepatic arterial reconstruction, a pulsatile waveform with a mean peak systolic velocity of 52.4 cm/s and a mean resistance index of 0.76 was obtained. The first photographic recording clearly visualized the blood flow in the reconstructed hepatic artery, without kinking or stenosis, in all three patients. The second photographic recording visualized the flow in the portal vein without stenosis, kinking, or stagnation. The third photographic recording demonstrated the excretion of ICG into bile, thus confirming bile production by the grafts. Conclusions Fluorescence imaging can clearly visualize the reconstructed hepatic artery and portal vein and demonstrate the production of bile by a transplanted liver graft. A combination of IDUS and the new system can guarantee the patency of the reconstructed vessels.     

Isolated acute cellular rejection of the liver after simultaneous liver and kidney transplantation: a case report

Simultaneous liver and kidney transplantation (SLKT) is now considered the treatment of choice for patients with concurrent end-stage liver and kidney diseases. Even though the early postoperative mortality rate following SLKT is reported to be high compared to that of liver transplantation alone, the liver graft from the same donor has been argued to induce better kidney graft acceptance as evidenced by a low rate of acute renal rejection episodes. There have been many reports of a low incidence of acute renal rejection following SLKT; however, only a few cases were proven by simultaneous biopsies. The authors experienced a case of biopsy-proven isolated acute cellular rejection of the liver graft following SLKT.     

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome as a manifestation of acute antibody-mediated rejection after liver transplantation

Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) after liver transplantation is uncommon but, when present, manifests as graft dysfunction. We report the case of a 54-year-old woman who developed portal hypertension with pleural effusion and ascites secondary to sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) due to acute AMR following an ABO-matched liver transplantation for autoimmune cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Initial immunosuppression comprised basiliximab, decreasing prednisone, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil. After 1 month, she presented with the massive pleural effusion, slight ascites, and normal liver tests. After excluding common causes of pleural effusion, we performed a liver biopsy that showed atypical rejection with the involvement of large centrilobular veins partially occluded by marked endotheliitis and lax fibrosis suggestive of SOS. Direct immunofluorescence study of C4d showed diffuse endothelial sinusoidal staining, and de novo donor-specific anti-human leukocyte antigen antibodies were detected in his blood. Thus, we diagnosed AMR focused on centrilobular veins and initiated treatment with defibrotide, steroid pulses, and diuretics. However, this was ineffective, and the pleural effusion only resolved when plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulin were started. This case shows that AMR can cause SOS with portal hypertension and present with a pleural effusion, and as such, it should be suspected after excluding other more common causes of effusion.     

Predicting severity and clinical course of acute rejection after liver transplantation using blood eosinophil count

Acute cellular rejection remains an important source of morbidity after liver transplantation, particularly if rejection is moderate or severe, as this usually is treated. Currently liver biopsies are seldom performed, so diagnostic noninvasive markers would be useful. We evaluated 690 consecutive first liver transplant patients to assess whether peripheral eosinophilia could predict moderate‐severe rejection and its course. A protocol biopsy was performed 6 ± 2.5 days after transplant. A second biopsy was taken 6.1 ± 2 days after the first in 487 patients to assess histological improvement. Liver function tests, peripheral eosinophil count and changes between first and second biopsy, were evaluated using logistic regression. Histological rejection was present in 532 patients (77.1%), with moderate (30.6%) and severe rejection (3.9%). Peripheral eosinophil count was strongly associated with moderate‐severe rejection (OR = 2.15; P = 0.007), although the area under ROC curve (AUROC) was 0.58. On second biopsy, rejection improved in 119 (24.4%) patients. The delta in eosinophil count between the first and second biopsies was the only independent predictor of histological improvement (OR = 3.12; P = 0.001), irrespective of whether bolus steroids were used (OR = 2.77; P = 0.004); AUROC was 0.72. Peripheral eosinophilia is not sufficiently predictive of moderate‐severe histological rejection. However the changes in eosinophil count over time can accurately predict the histological resolution of rejection.     

The incidence and significance of late acute cellular rejection (>1000 days) after liver transplantation

Acute cellular rejection (ACR) after liver transplantation occurs in as much as 70% of patients within the first year. There is very little known about ACR that occurs more than 1 yr after transplant, and it is generally believed that late occurring ACR may be more resistant to medical treatment and is associated with a higher rate of chronic ductopenic rejection and graft loss. A total of 532 recipients with more than 1000 d follow-up and who did not have hepatitis C were identified. Forty-three (8.1%) had biopsy proven late ACR at a mean of 1545 +/- 441 d post-transplant. Additionally, 38 of the 43 (88.4%) patients with late ACR had earlier episodes of ACR before 1000 d post-transplant vs. only 295 of the 488 patients (60.5%) that did not have late ACR (p < 0.01). The incidence of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) was 32.6% among patients with late ACR and 11.1% among patients without late ACR (p < 0.01). The overall patient survival for patients who had late ACR (n = 43) is 81.4% while for patients without late ACR (n = 488) it is 82.0% (p = ns). Patients remain at risk for ACR even after 1000 d post-transplant, particularly those with PSC.     

Spontaneous disappearance of intracranial arteriovenous malformation after living-donor liver transplantation: a case report

In this report, the authors describe a 35-year-old male whose intracranial arteriovenous malformation (AVM) spontaneously disappeared about 2 years after successful living-donor liver transplantation for alcohol-induced liver cirrhosis. Preoperative screening MRI revealed intracranial arteriovenous malformation (AVM) around the midbrain. Cerebral angiography demonstrated that the AVM was fed by the paramedian mesencephalic arteries and was drained via the vein of Galen. He successfully underwent living-donor liver transplantation, and his postoperative course was uneventful. Follow-up MRI and MRA revealed spontaneous disappearance of the AVM 27 months after surgery. The authors discuss precisely the underlying mechanism of this rare phenomenon, based on thorough literature review.     

肝移植术后患者自行停药致急性排斥反应(附3例报告)

目的 探讨肝移植术后患者自行停药致急性排斥反应(AR)的临床特点及治疗。方法 回顾性分析2004年1月至2013年6月上海交通大学医学院附属瑞金医院肝移植中心收治肝移植术后因自行停药导致AR的3例患者的临床资料。结果 3例患者均因自行停止服用免疫抑制剂出现肝功能异常而入院治疗,停药18~42 d,经肝穿刺组织病理学结果明确均为急性细胞性排斥反应。给予恢复使用免疫抑制剂的同时采用肾上腺皮质激素(激素)冲击治疗或兔抗人胸腺细胞免疫球蛋白治疗后改小剂量激素维持。2例患者经治疗后好转,另1例经抢救后无效死亡。结论 肝移植术后自行停药易发生AR,后果严重,应加强对患者的宣传教育,提高其服药依从性。一旦发生AR,即给予恢复使用免疫抑制剂,同时采用激素冲击或抗体治疗。     

大鼠肝移植急性排斥反应时T淋巴细胞免疫相关基因表达的基因芯片研究

目的 从基因水平了解T淋巴细胞在急性排斥反应中作用的分子机制。方法 建立大鼠肝移植急性排斥反应模型，并设对照组，利用4096条大鼠cDNA克隆的基因芯片从来自排斥组和对照组的T淋巴细胞中抽提、纯化mRNA，逆转录成cDNA，荧光标记后与芯片杂交，扫描后筛选出差异表达的基因。结果 在4096个基因中共发现差异表达基因190条，其中10条差异表达明显、已知功能的免疫相关基因为：主要组织相容性复合物(3条)和CD3抗原(1条)相关基因；干扰素调节因子1、上皮生长因子受体、转化生长因子相关基因各1条；白细胞蛋白酶抑制因子、急性期蛋白抑制因子3相关基因各1条；补体因子1基因1条。结论 T淋巴细胞在肝移植术后急性排斥反应中的作用机制涉及多个基因；基因芯片技术是一种高效、稳定的方法。     

Pathomorphological features of acute rejection in patients after orthotopic liver transplantation: own experience

INTRODUCTION: Acute hepatic allograft rejection remains an important problem following liver transplantation. Liver biopsy specimens show a combination of characteristic changes, first observed by Snover as a diagnostic triad: portal inflammation, bile duct damage, and central or portal vein endothelial inflammation (endothelitis or endothelialitis). The aim of this study was to describe our histopathological assessment of liver transplants. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the period between September 2000 and June 2004, we evaluated 150 liver biopsy specimens from 105 liver recipients. RESULTS: Acute rejection was diagnosed in 26.6% of liver biopsies taken from 31.4% patients who demonstrated clinical symptoms of liver damage. In 90% of cases the rejection was described as minimal or mild, and in 10% as moderate. There was no episode of severe acute rejection. Only four biopsies (10%) showed nothing but Snover triad changes. In 9 (22.5%) cases only acute rejection was diagnosed; the remaining showed in addition to acute rejection the possibility of other concomitant pathologies: viral infection in 15 cases (37.5%), biliary flow obstruction in 11 cases (28.5%), functional cholestasis in two cases (5%), and ischemic complications in three cases (7.5%). CONCLUSIONS: Histologically confirmed acute rejection episodes were diagnosed in 14.9% liver recipients. Liver biopsy specimens, aside from Snover triad features, often showed other unspecific morphological changes. Differentiation of acute rejection from other accompanying diseases is sometimes difficult, requiring precise clinical data and pathologist experience.     

肝移植术后严重感染状态下的严重排斥反应3例报告

回顾性分析收治的3例肝移植患者在严重感染状态下免疫抑制治疗的临床资料。结果示1例活体辅助肝移植患者几乎完全停用免疫抑制剂后发生严重排斥反应导致移植肝丧失；1例老年肝移植患者免疫抑制剂减量后出现严重排斥反应，立即予激素冲击治疗获良好效果；1例患者大幅减少免疫抑制剂后发生严重排斥反应，导致门静脉血栓形成而被迫再次肝移植。提示肝移植术后严重感染状态下行免疫抑制剂减量或停用时须密切观察是否发生急性排斥反应；一旦发生，宜果断予加强免疫抑制剂治疗。