Usefulness of portal vein pressure for predicting the effects of tolvaptan in cirrhotic patients

AIM: To elucidate influencing factors of treatment response, then tolvaptan has been approved in Japan for liquid retention.METHODS: We herein conducted this study to clarify the influencing factors in 40 patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis complicated by liquid retention. Tolvaptan was administered at a dosage of 7.5 mg once a day for patients with conventional diuretic-resistant hepatic edema for 7 d. At the initiation of tolvaptan, the estimated hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) value which was estimated portal vein pressure was measured using hepatic venous catheterization. We analyzed the effects of tolvaptan and influencing factors associated with treatment response.RESULTS: Subjects comprised patients with a median age of 65 (range, 40-82) years. According to the Child-Pugh classification, class A was 3 patients, class B was 19, and class C was 18. Changes from the baseline in body weight were -1.0 kg (P = 2.04 × 10-6) and -1.3 kg (P = 1.83 × 10-5), respectively. The median HVPG value was 240 (range, 105-580) mmH2O. HVPG was only significant influencing factor of the weight loss effect. When patients with body weight loss of 2 kg or greater from the baseline was defined as responders, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the optimal HVPG cutoff value was 190 mmH2O in predicting treatment response. The response rate was 87.5% (7/8) in patients with HVPG of 190 mmH2O or less, whereas it was only 12.5% (2/16) in those with HVPG of greater than 190 mmH2O (P = 7.46 × 10-4). We compared each characteristics factors between responders and non-responders. As a result, HVPG (P = 0.045) and serum hyaluronic acid (P = 0.017) were detected as useful factors.CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that tolvaptan in the treatment of liquid retention could be more effective for patients with lower portal vein pressure.

Subharmonic scattering of ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles may be an effective and promising tool for portal vein pressure estimation

Portal hypertension(PH)is a commonly observed syndrome in patients with cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases(1).It is closely associated with severe clinical complications,including upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage,ascites,hepatic encephalopathy,and liver failure(2-6).Portal vein pressure(PVP)is a prognostic indicator for patients with cirrhosis,and PH is a contraindication for hepatectomy(7,8).Currently,the gold standard for assessing PVP is the measurement of PVP gradient[hepatic venous pressure gradient(HVPG)],which is indirectly determined by placing a catheter in the hepatic vein(3).

Accurate ultrasonography-based portal pressure assessment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND Portal pressure is of great significance in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),but direct measurement is complicated and costly;thus,noninvasive measurement methods are urgently needed.AIM To investigate whether ultrasonography(US)-based portal pressure assessment could replace invasive transjugular measurement.METHODS A cohort of 102 patients with HCC was selected(mean age:54±13 years,male/female:65/37).Pre-operative US parameters were assessed by two independent investigators,and multivariate logistic analysis and linear regression analysis were conducted to develop a predictive formula for the portal pressure gradient(PPG).The estimated PPG predictors were compared with the transjugular PPG measurements.Validation was conducted on another cohort of 20 non-surgical patients.RESULTS The mean PPG was 17.32±1.97 mmHg.Univariate analysis identified the association of the following four parameters with PPG:Spleen volume,portal vein diameter,portal vein velocity(PVV),and portal blood flow(PBF).Multiple linear regression analysis was performed,and the predictive formula using the PVV and PBF was as follows:PPG score=19.336-0.312×PVV(cm/s)+0.001×PBF(mL/min).The PPG score was confirmed to have good accuracy with an area under the curve(AUC)of 0.75(0.68-0.81)in training patients.The formula was also accurate in the validation patients with an AUC of 0.820(0.53-0.83).CONCLUSION The formula based on ultrasonographic Doppler flow parameters shows a significant correlation with invasive PPG and,if further confirmed by prospective validation,may replace the invasive transjugular assessment.

Recent evolution of living donor liver transplantation at Kyoto University:How to achieve a one-year overall survival rate of 99%?

Previously,living donor liver transplantation was considered as a“high-risk,high-return”medical treatment due to the relatively high short-term mortality.It is our task to change“high-risk,high-return”into a“low-risk,high-return”situation.In this review article,the recent evolutions in living donor liver transplantation for both donors and recipients at Kyoto University such as portal vein pressure modulation,hybrid donor operation,and perioperative management considering sarcopenia,focusing on improvement of short-term outcomes are described.Under a paradigm of“marketing and innovation”,various innovations and efforts have been made over the last decade aiming at improving the short-term outcomes of both donors and recipients.By doing so,excellent short-term results after living donor liver transplantation have been achieved,along with a potentially epoch-making discoveries.

Correction to“Inhibiting heme oxygenase-1 attenuates rat liver fibrosis by removing iron accumulation”

We found a mistake in Figure 6. Panels A (Sham group) and F (DFX group) (180degrees rotated) is same images. We have replaced the incorrect images (Panels F)with the correct Figure. This error does not change the meaning of the picture orthe conclusion of the manuscript. We apologize for our unintentional mistakes,which caused great inconvenience.

Effects of portal venous arterialization on acute occlusion of hepatic artery in rats

Background A fatal complication after liver transplantation is anastomotic embolization of the hepatic artery. In order to solve this problem, the portal venous arterialization （PVA） is used to reconstruct the hepatic arterial blood flow. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of PVA on rats with acute occlusion of hepatic artery. Methods Rat PVA models were established and then randomly divided into Group 1 （control group）, Group 2 （jaundice group）, Group 3 （bile duct recanalization group）, and Group 4 （portal vein arterilization group）. Recanalization of the common bile duct and PVA were performed 5 days after bile duct ligation in the rats. The influence of the PVA on general conditions, hepatic changes of structure and function, portal vein pressure and hepatic micrangium were observed for one month. Results Five days after common bile duct ligation the serum bilirubin, transaminase and alkaline phosphatase levels were significantly increased. Compared with group 1, there was a statistically significant difference （P 〈0.01）. These rats then underwent bile duct recanalization and PVA. After a month, the liver functions and microscopic structures completely returned to normal and, compared with group 1, there was no statistically significant difference in portal vein pressure （P 〉0.05）. Vascular casting samples showed that hepatic sinusoids were slightly thicker and more filled than normal ones and although they had some deformations, the hepatic sinusoids were still distributed around the central vein in radial form. Conclusion Within a month after operation, bile duct recanalization and PVA do not show obvious adverse effects on liver hemodynamics and hepatic micrangium, and the liver function and microscopic structure can return to normal.