Reduced upper limb lean mass on dual energy X-ray absorptiometry predicts adverse outcomes in male liver transplant recipients

BACKGROUND Pre-transplant muscle wasting measured by computed tomography has been associated with adverse clinical outcomes after liver transplantation including increased rates of sepsis and hospitalisation days.Upper limb lean mass(LM)measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry(DEXA)was recently identified as a novel predictor of sarcopenia-associated mortality in men waitlisted for transplantation.AIM To investigate the use of DEXA LM in predicting gender-stratified early posttransplant outcomes.METHODS Liver transplant recipients who underwent pre-transplant DEXA body composition imaging between 2002 and 2017 were included.Endpoints included posttransplant mortality and graft failure,bacterial infections,acute cellular rejection(ACR)and intensive care and total hospital length of stay.RESULTS Four hundred and sixty-nine patients met inclusion criteria of which 338 were male(72%).Median age was 55.0 years(interquartile range 47.4,59.7)and model for end-stage liver disease(MELD)score 16.Median time from assessment to transplantation was 7 mo(3.5,12).Upper limb LM was inversely associated with bacterial infections at 180 d post-transplant(hazard ratio=0.42;95%confidence interval:0.20-0.89;P=0.024)in males only.There was a negative correlation between upper limb LM and intensive care(τb=-0.090,P=0.015)and total hospital length of stay(τb=-0.10,P=0.0078)in men.In women,neither MELD nor body composition parameters were associated with post-transplant adverse outcomes or increased length of stay.Body composition parameters,MELD and age were not associated with 90-d mortality or graft failure in either gender.There were no significant predictors of early ACR.CONCLUSION Sarcopenia is an independent and potentially modifiable predictor of increased post-transplant bacterial infections and hospital length of stay in men with cirrhosis.DEXA upper limb LM provides a novel measure of muscle wasting that has prognostic value in this cohort.The lack of association in women requires further investigation.

Hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance and quantile regression for determinants of underutilisation in at-risk Australian patients

BACKGROUND While clinical guidelines recommend hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)surveillance for at-risk individuals,reported surveillance rates in the United States and Europe remain disappointingly low.AIM To quantify HCC surveillance in an Australian cohort,and assess for factors associated with surveillance underutilisation.METHODS All patients undergoing HCC surveillance liver ultrasounds between January 1,2018 to June 30,2018 at a tertiary hospital in Melbourne,Australia,were followed until July 31,2020,or when surveillance was no longer required.The primary outcome was the percentage of time up-to-date with HCC surveillance(PTUDS).Quantile regression was performed to determine the impact of factors associated with HCC surveillance underutilisation.RESULTS Among 775 at-risk patients followed up for a median of 27.5 months,the median PTUDS was 84.2%(IQR:66.3%-96.3%).85.0%of patients were followed up by specialist gastroenterologists.Amongst those receiving specialist care,quantile regression demonstrated differential associations at various quantile levels of PTUDS for several factors.Older age at the 25th quantile(estimate 0.002 per percent,P=0.03),and cirrhotic status at the 75th quantile(estimate 0.021,P=0.017),were significantly associated with greater percentage of time up-to-date.African ethnicity(estimate-0.089,P=0.048)and a culturally and linguistically diverse(CALD)background(estimate-0.063,P=0.01)were significantly associated with lower PTUDS at the 50th quantile,and again for CALD at the 75th quantile(estimate-0.026,P=0.045).CONCLUSION While median PTUDS in this Australian cohort study was 84.2%,awareness of the impact of specific factors across PTUDS quantiles can aid targeted interventions towards improved HCC surveillance.

Testosterone therapy reduces hepatic steatosis in men with type 2 diabetes and low serum testosterone concentrations

BACKGROUND Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)is highly prevalent in people with diabetes with no available treatment.AIM To explore the effect of testosterone treatment on liver.Testosterone therapy improves insulin resistance and reduces total body fat,but its impact on the liver remains poorly studied.METHODS This secondary analysis of a 40 wk,randomised,double-blinded,placebocontrolled trial of intramuscular testosterone undecanoate in men with type 2 diabetes and lowered serum testosterone concentrations evaluated the change in hepatic steatosis as measured by liver fat fraction on magnetic resonance imaging(MRI).RESULTS Of 88 patients enrolled in the index study,39 had liver MRIs of whom 20 received testosterone therapy and 19 received placebo.All patients had>5%hepatic steatosis at baseline and 38 of 39 patients met diagnostic criteria for NAFLD.Median liver fat at baseline was 15.0%(IQR 11.5%-21.1%)in the testosterone and 18.4%(15.0%-28.9%)in the placebo group.Median ALT was 34units/L(26-38)in the testosterone and 32units/L(25-52)in the placebo group.At week 40,patients receiving testosterone had a median reduction in absolute liver fat of 3.5%(IQR 2.9%-6.4%)compared with an increase of 1.2%in the placebo arm(between-group difference 4.7%P<0.001).After controlling for baseline liver fat,testosterone therapy was associated with a relative reduction in liver fat of 38.3%(95%confidence interval 25.4%-49.0%,P<0.001).CONCLUSION Testosterone therapy was associated with a reduction in hepatic steatosis in men with diabetes and low serum testosterone.Future randomised studies of testosterone therapy in men with NAFLD focusing on liver-related endpoints are therefore justified.

Clinical outcomes of patients with two small hepatocellular carcinomas

BACKGROUND Management of single small hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is straightforward with curative outcomes achieved by locoregional therapy or resection.Liver transplantation is often considered for multiple small or single large HCC.Management of two small HCC whether presenting synchronously or sequentially is less clear.AIM To define the outcomes of patients presenting with two small HCC.METHODS Retrospective review of HCC databases from multiple institutions of patients with either two synchronous or sequential HCC≤3 cm between January 2000 and March 2018.Primary outcomes were overall survival(OS)and transplant-free survival(TFS).RESULTS 104 patients were identified(male n=89).Median age was 63 years(interquartile range 58-67.75)and the most common aetiology of liver disease was hepatitis C(40.4%).59(56.7%)had synchronous HCC and 45(43.3%)had sequential.36 patients died(34.6%)and 25 were transplanted(24.0%).1,3 and 5-year OS was 93.0%,66.1% and 62.3% and 5-year post-transplant survival was 95.8%.1,3 and 5-year TFS was 82.1%,45.85% and 37.8%.When synchronous and sequential groups were compared,OS(1,3 and 5 year synchronous 91.3%,63.8%,61.1%,sequential 95.3%,69.5%,64.6%,P=0.41)was similar but TFS was higher in the sequential group(1,3 and 5 year synchronous 68.5%,37.3% and 29.7%,sequential 93.2%,56.6%,48.5%,P=0.02)though this difference did not remain during multivariate analysis.CONCLUSION TFS in patients presenting with two HCC≤3 cm is poor regardless of the timing of the second tumor.All patients presenting with two small HCC should be considered for transplantation.

Mycophenolate mofetil toxicity mimicking acute cellular rejection in a small intestinal transplant

Mycophenolate mofetil(MMF) is an important medication used for maintenance immunosuppression in solid organ transplants. A common gastrointestinal(GI) side effect of MMF is enterocolitis, which has been associated with multiple histological features. There is little data in the literature describing the histological effects of MMF in small intestinal transplant(SIT) recipients. We present a case of MMF toxicity in a SIT recipient, with histological changes in the donor ileum mimicking persistent acute cellular rejection(ACR). Concurrent biopsies of the patient's native colon showed similar changes to those from the donor small bowel, suggesting a non-graft specific process, raising suspicion for MMF toxicity. The MMF was discontinued and complete resolution of these changes occurred over three weeks. MMF toxicity should therefore be considered as a differential diagnosis for ACR and graftversus-host disease in SITs.