Indocyanine green clearance in evaluating the recovery of liver reserve function after superselective transarterial chemoembolization

Transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)may ravage normal liver tissues apart from the neoplastic nodules which offset the anti-tumor effect.This study aimed to evaluate the recovery of liver reserve function(LRF)after TACE by indocyanine green(ICG)clearance test and other routine liver function tests.Forty-six newly diagnosed HCC patients who had undergone TACE as the initial treatment from January 2011 to January 2012 were enrolled in this study.The effects of age,basic ICG clearance rate and interval time between two assessments on the recovery of LRF were analyzed.We found that ICG retention rate at the 15 minutes(ICGR15)was significantly increased after TACE(12.3±8.1%vs 16.8±12.1%,P【0.01)in all the 46 patients.In particular,the ICGR15 value was increased in older patients(age】55 years,20.3±12.5%vs 13.7±7.2%,P【0.01).The interval of ICG test also affected the ICGR15 value(≤47days,17.8±11.4%after vs 12.1±7.1%before TACE,P【0.01).Our data suggested that TACE decreased LRF,especially in older patients.ICG test was more sensitive to evaluate the recovery of LRF after TACE than the Child-Pugh grade and routine liver function tests.

Clinical value of predictive models based on liver stiffness measurement in predicting liver reserve function of compensated chronic liver disease

BACKGROUND Assessment of liver reserve function(LRF)is essential for predicting the prognosis of patients with chronic liver disease(CLD)and determines the extent of liver resection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.AIM To establish noninvasive models for LRF assessment based on liver stiffness measurement(LSM)and to evaluate their clinical performance.METHODS A total of 360 patients with compensated CLD were retrospectively analyzed as the training cohort.The new predictive models were established through logistic regression analysis and were validated internally in a prospective cohort(132 patients).RESULTS Our study defined indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min(ICGR15)≥10%as mildly impaired LRF and ICGR15≥20%as severely impaired LRF.We constructed predictive models of LRF,named the mLPaM and sLPaM,which involved only LSM,prothrombin time international normalized ratio to albumin ratio(PTAR),age and model for end-stage liver disease(MELD).The area under the curve of the mLPaM model(0.855,0.872,respectively)and sLPaM model(0.869,0.876,respectively)were higher than that of the methods for MELD,albumin bilirubin grade and PTAR in the two cohorts,and their sensitivity and negative predictive value were the highest among these methods in the training cohort.In addition,the new models showed good sensitivity and accuracy for the diagnosis of LRF impairment in the validation cohort.CONCLUSION The new models had a good predictive performance for LRF and could replace the indocyanine green(ICG)clearance test,especially in patients who are unable to undergo ICG testing.

Effects of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt using the Viatorr stent on hepatic reserve function in patients with cirrhosis

BACKGROUND As transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS)creation alters the hemodynamic status of the portal system,whether reduced portal blood supply affects the synthetic reserve function of the liver has been the focus of clinical attention.Since the Viatorr stent entered the Chinese market in 2015,it has not yet been widely used in clinical practice.Further,unlike other countries,the main cause of liver cirrhosis in China is viral hepatitis.Therefore,use of the Viatorr stent to establish a TIPS channel in patients with liver cirrhosis with differing etiologies is of great clinical interest.AIM To investigate factors affecting changes in liver reserve function after TIPS Viatorr stent implantation.METHODS Clinical data from 200 patients with cirrhotic portal hypertension who received TIPS treatment from March 2016 to March 2020 were analyzed retrospectively.The patients were divided into three groups(A-C),according to their disease etiology,with post-hepatitis,autoimmune,and alcoholic cirrhosis,respectively.Preoperative and postoperative liver and renal function and coagulation data,Child-Pugh grade,and model for end-stage liver disease(MELD)scores were collected.Statistical analyses were performed using the t-test or chi-square test.The incidence and of hepatic encephalopathy and patient survival were calculated using Kaplan-Meier method.RESULTS The surgical success rate was 100%,with mean portal pressure gradient(mmHg)decreasing from 25.5±5.22 to 10.04±2.76(t=45.80;P<0.001).After 24 mo,the cumulative incidence of hepatic encephalopathy in group A was significantly lower than that in group B/C,while the cumulative survival rate was significantly higher in group A than in group B/C(P<0.05 for both).The Child-Pugh score for group A was 6.96±1.21,which was significantly better than those of groups B(7.42±0.99;t=-2.44;P=0.016)and C(7.52±1.12;t=-2.67;P=0.009).Further,the MELD score for group A(9.62±2.19)was significantly better than those for groups B(10.64±1.90;t=-2.92;P=0.004)and C(10.82±2.01;t=-3.29;P=0.001).CONCLUSION Insertion of 8 mm internal diameter Viatorr stent has no significant effects on liver reserve function.Changes of liver reserve function in the medium and long term may be related to the etiology and treatment of portal hypertension.

A new scoring system for assessment of liver function after successful hepatectomy in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND:Whether a major liver resection is safe has been judged mainly from the patient’s hepatic reserve.However,a safe limit for liver resection does not exist yet.This study aimed to construct a new scoring system as a guide to determine a safe limit for liver resection and avoid liver dysfunction after hepatectomy.METHODS:Eighty-six patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who had undergone hepatectomy in West China Hospital from March 2007 to June 2010 were reviewed.The patients were classified according to the levels of total bilirubin after hepatectomy and the parameters in the perioperative period were compared.Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was made to assess the liver function compensatory (LFC) value to predict liver dysfunction of the patients after hepatectomy.LFC value is defined as the preoperative KICG value×22.487+standard remnant liver volume (SRLV)×0.020.RESULTS:Patients were classified into group Ⅰ (normal group,n=69) and group Ⅱ (with total bilirubin >85.5 μmol/L for 7 days after hepatectomy,n=17) based on the levels of total bilirubin after hepatectomy.Group II was further divided into two subgroups:recovered subgroup (n=14) and fatal subgroup (n=3).There were no significant differences in preoperative data or intraoperative findings except the indocyanine green test parameters (KICG and ICG R15) and SRLV.ROC analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity of an LFC value ≤13.01 were 94.1% and 82.6% respectively for predicting liver dysfunction of the patients after hepatectomy.CONCLUSIONS:The LFC value appears to be a good predictor of postoperative liver dysfunction in patients who undergo hepatectomy for HCC.An expected LFC value of 13.01 seems to be a safe limit for liver resection.

Hepatic trisegmentectomy for 29 patients with huge liver neoplasms

Objective: To evaluate retrospectively the feasibility and effect of hepatic trisegmentectomy in therapy of huge neoplasms of the liver. Methods: From July 1993 to October 1999, 29 pa- tients with huge hepatic neoplasms underwent hepatic trisegmentectomy. Of these, 23 patients suffered from primary liver cancer, 1 hepatic infiltration of gallbladder cancer, 1 metastasis of colon cancer, 1 hepatic angiosarcoma, 1 hepatic neurofibroma, and 2 huge liver cysts. Twenty-six patients were subjected to right trisegmentectomy and the rest 3 left triseg- mentectomy. All trisegmentectomies were performed under normothermic interruption of the porta hepatis at single time and these interruptions lasted 15 to 40 minutes. Results: The relatively good effect was seen in our se- ries. The 1-, 3-, 5-year survival rates for primary liver cancer patients were 63.6%, 36.4% and 27.3 %, respectively. The survival period for the pa- tients with hepatic infiltration of gallbladder cancer and liver metastasis of colon cancer was 6 months. Those with hepatic angiosarcoma, hepatic neurofi- broma and huge liver cysts have been surviving 35, 26, 25 and 40 months, respectively. Major complica- tions were noted in 5 patients, and one (3.4%, 1/29) died. Conclusion: Hepatic trisegmentectomy is safe and ef- fective in treatment of huge hepatic neoplasms if its indications and operative techniques are properly mastered.

Clinical efficacy of antiviral therapy in patients with hepatitis Brelated cirrhosis after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt

BACKGROUND As a country with a high burden of hepatitis B,China has about 86 million cases of hepatitis B virus infection,ranking the first in the world.Currently,there are about 390000 deaths due to hepatitis B-related complications such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer every year.Consequently,how to control portal hypertension,improve liver functional reserve,and reduce the incidence of hepatic failure and liver cancer in such patients is the focus of current clinical attention.Previous clinical study in our center suggested that at 24 mo after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS),the liver functional reserve of patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis was better than that of patients with alcoholinduced and immune cirrhosis,which may be related to the effective etiological treatment.AIM To investigate the clinical efficacy of three first-line antiviral drugs recommended by the guidelines of prevention and treatment for chronic hepatitis B in China(2019)in the treatment of patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis who had received a TIPS.METHODS The clinical data of 137 patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis with portal hypertension after receiving TIPS at our centre between March 2016 and December 2020 were analysed retrospectively.According to different anti-viral drugs,the patients were divided into entecavir(ETV)(n=70),tenofovir alafenamide fumarate(TAF)(n=32),and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate(TDF)(n=35)groups.The cumulative incidence of hepatic encephalopathy and hepatocellular carcinoma,survival,and changes in hepatic reserve function and glomerular filtration rate in patients treated with different antiviral drugs within 24 mo after surgery were investigated.RESULTS At 24 mo after surgery,the Child-Pugh score in the TAF group(6.97±0.86)was lower than that in the TDF(7.49±0.82;t=-2.52,P=0.014)and ETV groups(7.64±1.17;t=-2.92,P=0.004).The model for end-stage liver disease score in the TAF group at 24 mo after surgery was 9.72±1.5,which was lower than that in the TDF(10.74±2.33;t=-2.09,P=0.040)and ETV groups(10.97±2.17;t=-2.93,P=0.004).At 24 mo after surgery,the estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)in the TAF group(104.41±12.54)was higher than that in the TDF(93.54±8.97)and ETV groups(89.96±9.86)(F=21.57,P<0.001).CONCLUSION At 24 mo after surgery,compared with TDF and ETV,TAF has significant advantages in the improvement of liver functional reserve and eGFR.

Preoperative portal vein embolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: consensus and controversy

Thirty years have passed since the first report of portal vein embolization(PVE),and this procedure is widely adopted as a preoperative treatment procedure for patients with a small future liver remnant(FLR).PVE has been shown to be useful in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and chronic liver disease.However,special caution is needed when PVE is applied prior to subsequent major hepatic resection in cases with cirrhotic livers,and volumetric analysis of the liver segments in addition to evaluation of the liver functional reserve before PVE is mandatory in such cases.Advances in the embolic material and selection of the treatment approach,and combined use of PVE and transcatheter arterial embolization/chemoembolization have yielded improved outcomes after PVE and major hepatic resections.A novel procedure termed the associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy has been gaining attention because of the rapid hypertrophy of the FLR observed in patients undergoing this procedure,however,application of this technique in HCC patients requires special caution,as it has been shown to be associated with a high morbidity and mortality even in cases with essentially healthy livers.