Current status of laparoscopic liver resection in Korea

Since laparoscopic liver resection was first introduced in 2001, Korean surgeons have chosen a laparoscopic procedure as one of the treatment options for benign or malignant liver disease. We distributed and analyzed a nationwide questionnaire to members of the Korean Laparoscopic Liver Surgery Study Group (KLLSG) in order to evaluate the current status of laparoscopic liver resection in Korea. Questionnaires were sent to 24 centers of KLLSG. The questionnaire consisted of operative procedure, histological diagnosis of liver lesions, indications for resection, causes of conversion to open surgery, and postoperative outcomes. A laparoscopic liver resection was performed in 416 patients from 2001 to 2008. Of 416 patients, 59.6% had malignant tumors, and 40.4% had benign diseases. A total laparoscopic approach was performed in 88.7%. Anatomical laparoscopic liver resection was more commonly performed than non-anatomical resection (59.9% vs 40.1%). The anatomical laparoscopic liver resection procedures consisted of a left lateral sectionectomy (29.3%), left hemihepatectomy (19.2%), right hemihepatectomy (6%), right posterior sectionectomy (4.3%), central bisectionectomy (0.5%), and caudate lobectomy (0.5%). Laparoscopy-related serious complications occurred in 12 (2.8%) patients. The present study findings provide data in terms of indication, type and method of liver resection, and current status of laparoscopic liver resection in Korea.     

Outcomes after liver transplantation in Korea: Incidence and risk factors from Korean transplantation registry

Background/AimsTo analyze the incidence and risk factors of outcomes after liver transplantation (LT) in the Korean population.MethodsThis study analyzed data from the liver cohort of Korean Organ Transplantation Registry (KOTRY) who had LT between May 2014 and December 2017. Study measures included the incidence of post-LT outcomes in recipients of living donor LT (LDLT) and deceased donor LT (DDLT). Cox multivariate proportional hazards model was used to determine the potential risk factors predicting the outcomes.ResultsA total of 2,563 adult recipients with LT (LDLT, n=1,956; DDLT, n=607) were included, with mean±standard deviation age of 53.9±8.9 years, and 72.2% were male. The post-LT outcomes observed in each LDLT and DDLT recipients were death (4.0% and 14.7%), graft loss (5.0% and 16.1%), rejection (7.0% and 12.0%), renal failure (2.7% and 13.8%), new onset of diabetes (12.5% and 15.4%), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence (both 6.7%). In both LDLT and DDLT recipients, the most common post-LT complications were renal dysfunction (33.6% and 51.4%), infection (26.7% and 48.4%), and surgical complication (22.5% and 23.9%). Incidence of these outcomes were generally higher among recipients of DDLT than LDLT. Multivariate analysis indicated recipient age and DDLT as significant risk factors associated with death and graft loss. DDLT and ABO incompatible transplant were prognostic factors for rejection, and HCC beyond Milan criteria at pre-transplant was a strong predictor of HCC recurrence.ConclusionsThis study is a good indicator of the post-LT prognosis in the Korean population and suggests a significant burden of post-LT complications.     

Socioeconomic costs of liver disease in Korea

Background/Aims

This study analyzed the scale and trends of the social and economic costs of liver disease in Korea for the past 5 years.

Methods

The social aspects of socioeconomic costs were projected for viral hepatitis (B15-B19), liver cirrhosis, malignant neoplasm of the liver (C22) and other liver diseases (K70-K76), as representative diseases by dividing costs into direct and indirect from 2004 to 2008. Direct costs include hospitalization, outpatient, and pharmacy costs in the health-care sector, and transportation and caregiver costs. Indirect costs include the future income loss due to premature death and the loss of productivity resulting from absence from work.

Results

The social and economic costs of liver disease were projected to be KRW 5,858 billion in 2004, KRW 5,572 billion in 2005, KRW 8,104 billion in 2006, KRW 6,095 billion in 2007, and KRW 5,689 billion in 2008. The future income loss resulting from premature death is thus greatest, from 73.9% to 86.1%, followed by the direct medical costs, from 9.0% to 18.1%. The productivity loss resulting from absence from work accounts for 3.3-5.5%, followed by the direct nonmedical costs such as transportation and caregiver costs, at 1.5-2.5%.

Conclusions

Among the socioeconomic costs of liver disease in Korea, the future income loss resulting from premature death is showing a decreasing trend, whereas direct medical costs are increasing dramatically.     

The First Case of Monkeypox in the Republic of Korea

A rapid outbreak of monkeypox is ongoing in non-endemic countries since May 2022. We report the first case of monkeypox in the Republic of Korea. This occurred in a 34-year-old male patient who traveled to Europe in June 2022. On the day of his return to the Republic of Korea (June 21, 2022), the patient presented with a genital lesion. The results of the monkeypox real-time polymerase chain reaction tests were positive in the penile ulcer, oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal specimens. The patient subsequently developed fever and skin rash after hospital admission. Careful history taking along physical examination should be conducted in the patients who have epidemiologic risk factors for monkeypox. Moreover, appropriate specimens should be obtained from lesions and tested for the monkeypox virus.     

肝移植的解剖学基础及临床应用--背驮式肝移植1例

目的 :探讨肝脏移植的切取及移植手术方法。方法 :采用背驮式的病肝切取要求 ,首先分离第 1肝门 ,将肝蒂解剖至分叉以上 ,然后近肝游离肝周韧带 ,保留肝后下腔静脉 (IVC)和第 2肝门的 3支肝静脉 ,第 3肝门的肝短静脉应细心结扎 (或缝扎 )离断。供肝的切取 :各管道系统保留足够长度 ,避免第 1肝门分离 ,热缺血时间在 10min以内。背驮式植肝技术 :供肝上IVC与肝左中静脉供干支的端端吻合。供肝门静脉与受体门静脉端端吻合。术后采用FK5 0 6、酶酚酸脂 (MMF)抗排斥治疗。结果 :供肝切取 10例均成功 ,热缺血时间在 10min之内。 1例肝豆状核变性 (Wilson)患者 ,行背驮式肝移植成功 ,随访 7个月 ,肝功能及血铜蓝蛋白正常。结论 :掌握肝脏系统的解剖基础 ,有利于供肝的切取及病肝的切除 ,肝脏移植是唯一能挽救终末期肝病病人生命的方法 ,新型免疫抑制剂可预防移植肝排斥反应。     

Type and cause of liver disease in Korea: single-center experience, 2005-2010

Background/Aims

The aim of this study was to describe the types and causes of liver disease in patients from a single community hospital in Korea between April 2005 and May 2010.

Methods

A cohort of patients who visited the liver clinic of the hospital during the aforementioned time period were consecutively enrolled (n=6,307). Consistent diagnostic criteria for each liver disease were set by a single, experienced hepatologist, and the diagnosis of all of the enrolled patients was confirmed by retrospective review of their medical records.

Results

Among the 6,307 patients, 528 (8.4%) were classified as acute hepatitis, 3,957 (62.7%) as chronic hepatitis, 767 (12.2%) as liver cirrhosis, 509 (8.1%) as primary liver cancer, and 546 (8.7%) as a benign liver mass or other diseases. The etiologies in the acute hepatitis group in decreasing order of prevalence were hepatitis A (44.3%), toxic hepatitis (32.4%), other hepatitis viruses (13.8%), and cryptogenic hepatitis (9.1%). In the chronic hepatitis group, 51.2% of cases were attributed to viral hepatitis, 33.3% to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and 13.0% to alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Of the cirrhoses, 73.4% were attributable to viral causes and 18.1% to alcohol. Of the hepatocellular carcinoma cases, 86.6% were attributed to viral hepatitis and 11.6% to ALD. Among the benign tumors, hemangioma comprised 52.2% and cystic liver disease comprised 33.7%.

Conclusions

Knowledge of the current status of the type and cause of liver disease in Korea may be valuable as a basis for evaluating changing trends in liver disease in that country.     

Unusually rapid development of a HBsAG-positive liver cirrhosis after liver transplantation

Summary We report the case of a 44-year-old man who was transplanted in 1986 for hepatocellular carcinoma in a HBsAG-positive liver cirrhosis. The patient had no severe complications postoperatively. He received passive immunization for the prevention of hepatitis B reinfection during the first 6 months after liver grafting. Twelve months after the transplantation the new liver was reinfected with hepatitis B virus. Without any clinical or laboratory signs of severe hepatitis, the patient developed a histologically proven complete liver cirrhosis within 8 months after reinfection of the graft. The reasons for this might have been, first, a deleterious course of the infection under immunosuppressive therapy, and, second, the additional influence of a postoperatively acquired CMV infection or the combined toxic influence of cyclosporin A and its metabolites on the acute inflammation in the liver.Abbreviations ALT Alanine aminotransferase (EC No 2.6.1.2) - AST Aspartate aminotransferase (EC No 2.6.1.1) - CMV Cytomegalo virus - EBV Ebstein-Barr virus - ELISA Enzyme linked immunosorbentassay - HBV Hepatitis B virus - HLA Human leukocyte antigen - HSV Herpes simplex virus     

Regulation of hepatic blood flow in patients with liver cirrhosis and after liver transplantation

We studied liver blood flow at rest and its regulatory changes after exercise and food intake in ten patients with advanced liver cirrhosis and in 14 patients more than 10 months after orthotopic liver transplantation. The results were compared with those obtained in ten healthy volunteers. Sorbitol steady state infusion was employed to measure functional liver blood flow (FLBF). Thirty minutes of half-maximal muscular work, performed on a supine position ergometer and consumption of a standard meal were used as stimuli to study regulatory changes in hepatic perfusion. Results: FLBF at rest was reduced in end stage cirrhosis (mean 1257±105 ml/min in cirrhosis vs. 1707±76 ml/min in controls; P<0.01). After liver transplantation FLBF at rest was normalized (mean 1922±169 ml/min) in patients with stable graft function. Muscular exercise led to a reduction in FLBF, which in the transplanted patients was the same range as in normal controls (−26.7±3.7%; −24.7±0.7, respectively), but was reduced in cirrhosis (−19.1±2.1%; P<0.05). After ingestion of a standard meal FLBF increased substantially in normal controls (+40.2±2.3%), while in patients with cirrhosis this increase was rather small (+10.1±1.9%; P<0.001). After transplantation the food-induced increase in FLBF(+20.5±3.6%) was larger than in cirrhosis (P<0.05) but remained smaller than in the controls (P<0.01). We conclude that in cirrhosis FLBF is reduced and adaptive changes after exercise or food intake are impaired. After transplantation FLBF is normalized, but blood flow regulation, especially after food intake remains abnormal.     

肝移植术后妊娠围生期处理

目的探讨肝移植术后妊娠围生期处理。方法分析我院1例肝移植术后妊娠并成功分娩患者围生期免疫抑制剂使用情况及成功分娩情况,并复习相关文献。结果本例患者行同种异体原位肝移植术后1年8月妊娠,孕期调整免疫抑制剂剂量,移植物功能良好,并成功分娩。结论育龄妇女肝移植术后通过调整免疫抑制剂剂量,监测移植物功能及定期产前检查,防治并发症,可以正常妊娠及分娩。     

CD28 and KIR2D receptors as sensors of the immune status in heart and liver transplantation

Viral infections and cellular acute rejection (AR) condition immunosuppressive therapy and compromise the evolution of allografts. Immune monitoring can be useful for ascertaining rejection and for differentiating allo-reaction from activation induced by infections. This work analyzes the usefulness of monitoring the expression of CD28 and KIR2D receptors in peripheral blood T lymphocytes by flow cytometry, to ascertain the immune response in heart and liver transplant recipients. In both types of transplant, the up-regulation of CD28 in CD4(+) lymphocytes in the periods of greatest AR frequency indicates an effective allo-response, whereas the post-transplantation emergence of circulating CD8(+)CD28(-) and CD8(+)CD28(-)KIR2D(+) T cells correlates with better early clinical results. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, but not hepatitis C virus (HCV) or other infections, abrogated both CD28 up-regulation and CD8(+)CD28(-)KIR2D(+) T-cell expansion. Our results show that monitoring the expression of CD28 and KIR2D receptors on T lymphocytes might be considered as sensors of the immune status of heart and liver recipients.     

冷缺血损伤后大鼠肝脏移植后肝脏再生的分子机制

目的： 研究不同冷缺血损伤条件下，大鼠肝脏移植后肝脏再生的分子机制。方法: 建立大鼠原位肝移植模型。实验分为: 冷缺血1 h、8 h和16 h组。观察各组的生存率，并在术后90 min、1、2、4和7 d收集标本，观察白介素-6(IL-6)、肿瘤坏死因子（TNF-α）、信号转导激活蛋白3 (STAT3)等表达情况。免疫组化检测细胞周期素D1的表达和肝细胞摄取溴脱氧尿核苷情况。比较实验各组肝脏移植后TNF-α和IL-6的表达水平。分析实验各组移植术后48 h 溴脱氧尿核苷染色阳性的肝细胞数。结果: 冷缺血1 h、8 h和16 h后肝脏移植物的存活率均为100％（>14 d）。移植术后90 min，与冷缺血1 h组相比，冷缺血8 h和16 h组大鼠移植肝内TNF-α等因子表达明显增加（P<0.05）。移植术后90 min，与冷缺血1 h和8 h组相比，16 h组IL-6的表达亦明显增强（P<0.05）。冷缺血8 h和16 h组STAT3活性明显增强。冷缺血8 h组细胞周期素D1在胞浆和细胞核内均有表达。冷缺血16 h组细胞周期素D1仅在核内表达。肝细胞复制活跃。与冷缺血1 h和8 h组相比，冷缺血16 h组术后48 h溴脱氧尿核苷染色阳性的肝细胞计数也明显增多（P<0.05）。结论: 大鼠肝脏移植物经受16 h冷缺血损伤后仍然能够启动，完成肝脏再生，修复组织损伤。大鼠肝脏移植后的肝脏再生可能通过TNF-α/IL-6／STAT3/cyclin D1/DNA合成的途径调节。     

树鼩肝移植的解剖基础

目的　为树鼩肝移植的开展提供解剖学基础。 方法　解剖12只成年树鼩观察肝脏形态、毗邻及主要血管、胆管的走形和分布,并在解剖基础上探讨和对3组树鼩采用“双袖套管法”行肝移植术。 结果　树鼩肝动脉直径（0.63±0.21）mm,均发自腹腔干;肝上下腔静脉距横膈（5.35±0.55）mm,直径（6.86±0.61）mm;肝下下腔静脉直径（5.28±0.58）mm;肝门静脉由肠系膜上静脉及脾静脉汇成,直径（3.86±　0.57）mm;胆总管由胆囊管及肝总管汇成,长度（15.5±2.6)mm;直径(0.75±0.12)mm。3组树鼩顺利行肝移植术操作,术后存活时间为3h、5h和6h。 结论　树鼩在解剖学基础上建立肝移植模型具有一定的可行性。     

Current status of HLA matching in renal transplantation

Summary The impact of HLA compatibility on the success rate of kidney transplants was studied in over 80,000 recipients of primary transplants. The transplants were done from 1982 to 1991 at over 300 transplant centers in 43 countries. The results show that matching the HLA chromosomes in related donor transplants has a striking influence. It is also important that matching for individual HLA antigens in cadaver transplants provides a highly significant improvement in graft survival (P<0.0001). After 5 years, matched grafts have a survival rate approximately 20% higher than completely mismatched grafts. The matching effect is particularly strong in presensitized and second graft recipients. There is now direct evidence that even if it is necessary to transport well-matched kidneys a long way, they have a significantly higher success rate than locally transplanted poorly matched kidneys. New data based on molecular technology show that the precise identification of HLA-DR antigens by DNA typing further improves the success rate of HLA-matched transplants.Abbreviations MM mismatched antigens - RFLP restriction fragment length polymorphism     

胸腺法新在肿瘤患者肝移植术后应用的安全性研究

目的探讨胸腺法新在肝脏移植患者中应用对急性排异反应发生率的影响及相关不良反应,评估其应用的安全性。方法选取2008年1月后超＂杭州标准＂的13例肝脏恶性肿瘤患者作为治疗组,肝移植术后1个月开始应用胸腺法新。应用方案为1.6 mg皮下注射,1次/d,应用2周后改为2次/周,连续应用2年。随机选取2008年1月前肝移植患者13例作为对照组,对照组未应用胸腺法新,免疫抑制方案等与治疗组相同,观察比较应用治过程中相关副作用及急性排异反应的发生情况。结果随访期间两组间肝功能恢复情况及排斥反应发生率均无明显统计学差异,胸腺法新治疗组和对照组各1例患者发生急性排异反应,治疗组急性排异反应患者经停用胸腺法新并调整免疫抑制剂后肝功能恢复正常;对照组即行排异反应患者经激素冲击治疗后得以纠正。两组比较急性排异反应发生率无显著差异（P〉0.05）,治疗组未观察到其他该药物相关不良反应。结论肝脏移植患者应用胸腺法新不增加急性排异反应的发生率,在肝脏移植患者中应用是安全的。     

The Ecology of Medical Care in Korea

This study aimed to describe the ecology of medical care in Korea. Using the yearly data of 2012 derived from the Korea Health Panel, we estimated the numbers of people per 1,000 residents aged 18 and over who had any health problem and/or any medical care at a variety of care settings, such as clinics, hospitals, and tertiary hospitals, in an average month. There was a total of 11,518 persons in the study population. While the number of those who had any health problem in an average month was estimated to be 939 per 1,000 persons, the estimated numbers of ambulatory care users were 333 at clinics, 101 at hospital outpatient departments, 35 at tertiary hospital outpatient departments, and 38 for Korean Oriental medical providers. The number of people who used emergency care at least once was 7 per 1,000 persons in an average month. The numbers of people hospitalized in clinics and hospitals were 3 and 8, respectively, while 3 persons were admitted to tertiary hospitals. There was a gap between the number of people experiencing any health problem and that of those having any medical care, and primary care comprised a large share of people’s medical care experiences. It was noteworthy that more patients received ambulatory care at tertiary hospitals in Korea than in other countries. We hope that discussion about care delivery system reform and further studies will be encouraged.     

The current status of asthma in Korea

A systematic review of English and Korean articles published between 1990 and 2004 and a search of database and various online resources was conducted to determine the prevalences, mortality rates, socioeconomic burden, quality of life, and treatment pattern of asthma in Korean adults and children. Asthma morbidity and mortality in Korea are steadily increasing. The prevalence of asthma in Korea is estimated to be 3.9% and its severity is often underestimated by both physicians and patients. Mortality resulting from chronic lower respiratory diseases including asthma increased from 12.9 to 22.6 deaths per 100,000 of the population between 1992 and 2002. Disease severity, level of control, and symptom state were all found to negatively impact the quality of life of asthmatics. Although international and Korean asthma management guidelines are available, familiarity with and implementation of these guidelines by primary care physicians remain poor.     

Factor V Deficiency in Korean Patients: Clinical and Laboratory Features,Treatment, and Outcome

Due to rarity of factor V (FV) deficiency, there have been only a few case reports in Korea. We retrospectively analysed the clinical-laboratory features of FV deficiency in 10 Korean patients. Between January 1987 and December 2013, 10 case reports published in a Korean journal or proceedings of Korea Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis were reviewed. Severity is defined as mild (> 5% of factor activity), moderate (1%–5%), and severe (< 1%). The median age at diagnosis, six males and four females, was 26 years (range, 1 month-73 years). Six of 10 patients were classified as moderate, three as mild, and one as severe disease. Eight patients were diagnosed as inherited FV deficiency. The most frequent symptoms were mucosal tract bleedings (40%) such as epistaxis, and menorrhagia in female. Hemarthroses and postoperative bleeding occurred in one and four patients, respectively. Life-threatening bleeding episodes occurred in the peritoneal cavity (n = 2), central nerve system (n = 1), and retroperitoneal space (n = 1). No lethal haemorrhages happened to patients with mild disease. The majority of bleeding episodes were controlled with local measures and fresh-frozen plasma replacement. Two acquired FV deficient-patients showing life-threatening haemorrhages received the immunosuppressive therapy, but one of them died from postoperative bleeding complications. Despite the small sample size of this study due to rarity of the disease, we found that Korean patients with FV deficiency had similar clinical manifestations and treatment outcomes shown in previous studies.     

Spleen size of live donors for liver transplantation

BACKGROUND: Normal spleen size is not well defined for the adult population. METHODS: Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans of 238 consecutive living donors for liver transplantation were studied. Two methods for determining splenomegaly were applied. In Method N, a horizontal line was drawn to the left side from the most ventral point of the spleen. A perpendicular line was drawn from the central point of the aorta of the CT slice. The height of the cross point of the two lines was compared with the diameter of the aorta. In Method C, a perpendicular line was drawn from the most ventral point of the spleen. The distance between the posterior and anterior abdominal walls was partitioned in three parts, from dorsal to ventral and defined of Zones 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Donors were divided into two groups, those under age 40 and those over age 40. RESULTS: The mean volume of the spleen was 123 +/- 45 cm(3). Spleen volume was negatively correlated with age (R = -0.32, p < 0.001) and positively correlated with body mass (R = 0.24, p < 0.001). In donors under age 40, the most ventral point of the 96% of the spleens was below four times the diameter of the aorta (Method N). In Method C, 52% of the spleens were located in Zones 1 and 2. In donors over age 40, the most ventral point of the 96% of the spleens was below three times the diameter of the aorta (Method N). Totally 82% of the spleens were located in Zones 1 and 2 (Method C). CONCLUSIONS: Splenomegaly can be evaluated by the simple method on CT although the threshold must be changed by the age of the subject.     

Donor-specific antibodies and liver transplantation

In contrast to other types of organ transplantation, liver-transplant recipients used to be considered highly resistant to donor-specific antibodies (DSAs). Consequently, most transplant programs did not consider the presence of DSAs at transplantation or during the follow-up. However, since the early 1990s, antibody-mediated pathological lesions have been recognized in ABO-incompatible liver-transplant recipients. Recent data confirm the detrimental effect of preformed and de novo DSAs in ABO-compatible liver transplantation, with inferior clinical outcomes in patients presenting with circulating antibodies. Acute antibody-mediated rejection (AMR), plasma-cell hepatitis, biliary stricture, but also long-term complications, such as chronic rejection, liver ductopenia, and graft fibrosis, are now recognized to be associated with DSAs. Moreover, some non-HLA DSAs are suspected to induce graft dysfunction. Clinical, biological, and histological patterns within AMR need to be clarified. Treatment of these complications has yet to be defined. This article summarizes recent advances concerning the impact of preformed and de novo DSAs in liver transplantation, it defines the complications associated with DSAs, and discusses the potential strategies to manage patients with such complications.