Liver transplantation and resection in patients with hepatocellular cancer and portal vein tumor thrombosis: Feasible and effective?

Patients with locally advanced hepatocellular cancer(HCC)and portal vein tumor thrombosis(PVTT)have a dismal prognosis since limited treatment options are available for them.In recent years,effective systemic therapy,and advances in the understanding of technicalities and effectiveness of ablative therapies especially radiotherapy,have given some hope to prolong survival in them.This review summarized recent evidence in literature regarding the possible role of liver resection(LR)and liver transplantation(LT)in patients with locally advanced HCC and PVTT with no extrahepatic disease.Downstaging therapies have helped make curative resection or LT a reality in selected patients.This review emphasizes on the key points to focus on when considering surgery in these patients,who are usually relegated to palliative systemic therapy alone.Meticulous patient selection based on tumor biology,documented downstaging based on imaging and decrease in tumor marker levels,and an adequate waiting period to demonstrate stable disease,may help obtain satisfactory long-term outcomes post LR or LT in an intention to treat strategy in patients with HCC and PVTT.

Cellular strategies to induce immune tolerance after liver transplantation:Clinical perspectives

Liver transplantation(LT)has become the most efficient treatment for pediatric and adult end-stage liver disease and the survival time after transplantation is becoming longer due to the development of surgical techniques and perioperative management.However,long-term side-effects of immunosuppressants,like infection,metabolic disorders and malignant tumor are gaining more attention.Immune tolerance is the status in which LT recipients no longer need to take any immunosuppressants,but the liver function and intrahepatic histology maintain normal.The approaches to achieve immune tolerance after transplantation include spontaneous,operational and induced tolerance.The first two means require no specific intervention but withdrawing immunosuppressant gradually during follow-up.No clinical factors or biomarkers so far could accurately predict who are suitable for immunosuppressant withdraw after transplantation.With the understanding to the underlying mechanisms of immune tolerance,many strategies have been developed to induce tolerance in LT recipients.Cellular strategy is one of the most promising methods for immune tolerance induction,including chimerism induced by hematopoietic stem cells and adoptive transfer of regulatory immune cells.The safety and efficacy of various cell products have been evaluated by prospective preclinical and clinical trials,while obstacles still exist before translating into clinical practice.Here,we will summarize the latest perspectives and concerns on the clinical application of cellular strategies in LT recipients.

Development of a nomogram for predicting liver transplantation prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND At present,liver transplantation(LT)is one of the best treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Accurately predicting the survival status after LT can significantly improve the survival rate after LT,and ensure the best way to make rational use of liver organs.AIM To develop a model for predicting prognosis after LT in patients with HCC.METHODS Clinical data and follow-up information of 160 patients with HCC who underwent LT were collected and evaluated.The expression levels of alphafetoprotein(AFP),des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin,Golgi protein 73,cytokeratin-18 epitopes M30 and M65 were measured using a fully automated chemiluminescence analyzer.The best cutoff value of biomarkers was determined using the Youden index.Cox regression analysis was used to identify the independent risk factors.A forest model was constructed using the random forest method.We evaluated the accuracy of the nomogram using the area under the curve,using the calibration curve to assess consistency.A decision curve analysis(DCA)was used to evaluate the clinical utility of the nomograms.RESULTS The total tumor diameter(TTD),vascular invasion(VI),AFP,and cytokeratin-18 epitopes M30(CK18-M30)were identified as important risk factors for outcome after LT.The nomogram had a higher predictive accuracy than the Milan,University of California,San Francisco,and Hangzhou criteria.The calibration curve analyses indicated a good fit.The survival and recurrence-free survival(RFS)of high-risk groups were significantly lower than those of low-and middle-risk groups(P<0.001).The DCA shows that the model has better clinical practicability.CONCLUSION The study developed a predictive nomogram based on TTD,VI,AFP,and CK18-M30 that could accurately predict overall survival and RFS after LT.It can screen for patients with better postoperative prognosis,and improve longterm survival for LT patients.

Influence of sex on outcomes of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma:a multicenter cohort study in China

Objective:Sex-specific differences are observed in various liver diseases,but the influence of sex on the outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)after liver transplantation(LT)remains to be determined.This study is the first Chinese nationwide investigation of the role of sex in post-LT outcomes in patients with HCC.Methods:Data for recipients with HCC registered in the China Liver Transplant Registry between January 2015 and December 2020 were analyzed.The associations between donor,recipient,or donor-recipient transplant patterns by sex and the post-LT outcomes were studied with propensity score matching(PSM).The survival associated with different sex-based donor-recipient transplant patterns was further studied.Results:Among 3,769 patients enrolled in this study,the 1-,3-,and 5-year overall survival(OS)rates of patients with HCC after LT were 96.1%,86.4%,and 78.5%,respectively,in female recipients,and 95.8%,79.0%,and 70.7%,respectively,in male recipients after PSM(P=0.009).However,the OS was comparable between recipients with female donors and male donors.Multivariate analysis indicated that male recipient sex was a risk factor for post-LT survival(HR=1.381,P=0.046).Among the donor-recipient transplant patterns,the male-male donor-recipient transplant pattern was associated with the poorest post-LT survival(P<0.05).Conclusions:Our findings highlighted that the post-LT outcomes of female recipients were significantly superior to those of male recipients,and the male-male donor-recipient transplant pattern was associated with the poorest post-LT survival.Livers from male donors may provide the most benefit to female recipients.Our results indicate that sex should be considered as a critical factor in organ allocation.

Drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization as neoadjuvant therapy pre-liver transplantation for advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND The objectives of this study were to assess the safety and efficacy of drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization(DEB-TACE)as neoadjuvant therapy before liver transplantation(LT)for advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)and to analyze the prognostic factors.AIM To determine whether DEB-TACE before LT is superior to LT for advanced-stage HCC.METHODS A total of 99 individuals diagnosed with advanced HCC were studied retrospectively.The participants were categorized into the following two groups based on whether they had received DEB-TACE before LT:DEB-TACE group(n=45)and control group(n=54).The participants were further divided into two subgroups based on the presence or absence of segmental portal vein tumor thrombus(PVTT).The DEB-TACE group consisted of two subgroups:Group A(n=31)without PVTT and group B(n=14)with PVTT.The control group also had two subgroups:Group C(n=37)without PVTT and group D(n=17)with PVTT.Data on patient demographics,disease characteristics,therapy response,and adverse events(AEs)were collected.The overall survival(OS)and recurrence-free survival(RFS)rates were assessed using Kaplan-Meier curves.Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were conducted to determine the parameters that were independently related to OS and RFS.RESULTS The DEB-TACE group exhibited an overall response rate of 86.6%.Following therapy,there was a significant decrease in the median alpha-fetoprotein(AFP)level(275.1 ng/mL vs 41.7 ng/mL,P<0.001).The main AE was post-embolization syndrome.The 2-year rates of RFS and OS were significantly higher in the DEB-TACE group than in the control group(68.9%vs 38.9%,P=0.003;86.7%vs 63.0%,P=0.008).Within the subgroups,group A had higher 2-year rates of RFS and OS compared to group C(71.0%vs 45.9%,P=0.038;83.8%vs 62.2%,P=0.047).The 2-year RFS rate of group B was markedly superior to that of group D(64.3%vs 23.5%,P=0.002).Results from multivariate analyses showed that pre-LT DEB-TACE[hazard ratio(HR)=2.73,95%confidence interval(CI):1.44-5.14,P=0.04],overall target tumor diameter≤7 cm(HR=1.98,95%CI:1.05-3.75,P=0.035),and AFP level≤400 ng/mL(HR=2.34;95%CI:1.30-4.19,P=0.009)were significant risk factors for RFS.Additionally,pre-LT DEBTACE(HR=3.15,95%CI:1.43-6.96,P=0.004)was identified as a significant risk factor for OS.CONCLUSION DEB-TACE is a safe and efficient therapy for advanced-stage HCC and also enhances patient survival after LT.

Transarterial embolization is an acceptable bridging therapy to hepatocellular carcinoma prior to liver transplantation

BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is an aggressive malignant neoplasm that requires liver transplantation(LT).Despite patients with HCC being prioritized by most organ allocation systems worldwide,they still have to wait for long periods.Locoregional therapies(LRTs)are employed as bridging therapies in patients with HCC awaiting LT.Although largely used in the past,transarterial embolization(TAE)has been replaced by transarterial chemoembolization(TACE).However,the superiority of TACE over TAE has not been consistently shown in the literature.AIM To compare the outcomes of TACE and TAE in patients with HCC awaiting LT.METHODS All consecutive patients with HCC awaiting LT between 2011 and 2020 at a single center were included.All patients underwent LRT with either TACE or TAE.Some patients also underwent percutaneous ethanol injection(PEI),concom-itantly or in different treatment sessions.The choice of LRT for each HCC nodule was determined by a multidisciplinary consensus.The primary outcome was waitlist dropout due to tumor progression,and the secondary outcome was the occurrence of adverse events.In the subset of patients who underwent LT,complete pathological response and post-transplant recurrence-free survival were also assessed.RESULTS Twelve(18.5%)patients in the TACE group(only TACE and TACE+PEI;n=65)and 3(7.9%)patients in the TAE group(only TAE and TAE+PEI;n=38)dropped out of the waitlist due to tumor progression(P log-rank test=0.29).Adverse events occurred in 8(12.3%)and 2(5.3%)patients in the TACE and TAE groups,respectively(P=0.316).Forty-eight(73.8%)of the 65 patients in the TACE group and 29(76.3%)of the 38 patients in the TAE group underwent LT(P=0.818).Among these patients,complete pathological response was detected in 7(14.6%)and 9(31%)patients in the TACE and TAE groups,respectively(P=0.145).Post-LT,HCC recurred in 9(18.8%)and 4(13.8%)patients in the TACE and TAE groups,respectively(P=0.756).Posttransplant recurrence-free survival was similar between the groups(P log-rank test=0.71).CONCLUSION Dropout rates and posttransplant recurrence-free survival of TAE were similar to those of TACE in patients with HCC.Our study reinforces the hypothesis that TACE is not superior to TAE as a bridging therapy to LT in patients with HCC.

Liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma in India: Are we ready for 2040?

BACKGROUND Liver transplantation(LT)for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)has been widely researched and is well established worldwide.The cornerstone of this treatment lies in the various criteria formulated by expert consensus and experience.The variations among the criteria are staggering,and the short-and long-term outcomes are controversial.AIM To study the differences in the current practices of LT for HCC at different centers in India and discuss their clinical implications in the future.METHODS We conducted a survey of major centers in India that performed LT in December 2022.A total of 23 responses were received.The centers were classified as high-and low-volume,and the current trend of care for patients undergoing LT for HCC was noted.RESULTS Of the 23 centers,35%were high volume center(>500 Liver transplants)while 52%were high-volume centers that performed more than 50 transplants/year.Approximately 39%of centers had performed>50 LT for HCC while the percent distribution for HCC in LT patients was 5%–15%in approximately 73%of the patients.Barring a few,most centers were divided equally between University of California,San Francisco(UCSF)and center-specific criteria when choosing patients with HCC for LT,and most(65%)did not have separate transplant criteria for deceased donor LT and living donor LT(LDLT).Most centers(56%)preferred surgical resection over LT for a Child A cirrhosis patient with a resectable 4 cm HCC lesion.Positron-emission tomography-computed tomography(CT)was the modality of choice for metastatic workup in the majority of centers(74%).Downstaging was the preferred option for over 90%of the centers and included transarterial chemoembolization,transarterial radioembolization,stereotactic body radiotherapy and atezolizumab/bevacizumab with varied indications.The alphafetoprotein(AFP)cut-off was used by 74%of centers to decide on transplantation as well as to downstage tumors,even if they met the criteria.The criteria for successful downstaging varied,but most centers conformed to the UCSF or their center-specific criteria for LT,along with the AFP cutoff values.The wait time for LT from downstaging was at least 4–6 wk in all centers.Contrast-enhanced CT was the preferred imaging modality for post-LT surveillance in 52%of the centers.Approximately 65%of the centers preferred to start everolimus between 1 and 3 months post-LT.CONCLUSION The current predicted 5-year survival rate of HCC patients in India is less than 15%.The aim of transplantation is to achieve at least a 60%5-year disease free survival rate,which will provide relief to the prediction of an HCC surge over the next 20 years.The current worldwide criteria(Milan/UCSF)may have a higher 5-year survival(>70%);however,the majority of patients still do not fit these criteria and are dependent on other suboptimal modes of treatment,with much lower survival rates.To make predictions for 2040,we must prepare to arm ourselves with less stringent selection criteria to widen the pool of patients who may undergo transplantation and have a chance of a better outcome.With more advanced technology and better donor outcomes,LDLT will provide a cutting edge in the fight against liver cancer over the next two decades.

Liver transplantation as an alternative for the treatment of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: Past, present, and future directions

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(iCCA)is a rare biliary tract cancer with high mortality rate.Complete resection of the iCCA lesion is the first choice of treatment,with good prognosis after margin-negative resection.Unfortunately,only 12%-40% of patients are eligible for resection at presentation due to cirrhosis,portal hypertension,or large tumor size.Liver transplantation(LT)offers margin-negative iCCA extirpation for patients with unresectable tumors.Initially,iCCA was a contraindication for LT until size-based selection criteria were introduced to identify patients with satisfied post-LT outcomes.Recent studies have shown that tumor biology-based selection can yield high post-LT survival in patients with locally advanced iCCA.Another selection criterion is the tumor response to neoadjuvant therapy.Patients with response to neoadjuvant therapy have better outcomes after LT compared with those without tumor response to neoadjuvant therapy.Another index that helps predict the treatment outcome is the biomarker.Improved survival outcomes have also opened the door for living donor LT for iCCA.Patients undergoing LT for iCCA now have statistically similar survival rates as patients undergoing resection.The combination of surgery and locoregional and systemic therapies improves the prognosis of iCCA patients.

Liver transplantation as an alternative for the treatment of neuroendocrine liver metastasis: Appraisal of the current evidence

Background:Liver transplantation(LT)for neuroendocrine liver metastases(NELM)is still in debate.Studies comparing LT with liver resection(LR)for NELM are scarce,as patient selection is heterogeneous and experience is limited.The goal of this review was to provide a critical analysis of the evidence on LT versus LR in the treatment of NELM.Data sources:A scoping literature search on LT and LR for NELM was performed with PubMed,including English articles up to March 2023.Results:International guidelines recommend LR for NELM in resectable,well-differentiated tumors in the absence of extrahepatic metastatic disease with superior results of LR compared to systemic or liver-directed therapies.Advanced liver surgery has extended resectability criteria whilst entailing increased perioperative risk and short disease-free survival.In highly selected patients(based on the Milan criteria)with unresectable NELM,oncologic results of LT are promising.Prognostic factors include tumor biology(G1/G2)and burden,waiting time for LT,patient age and extrahepatic spread.Based on low-level evi-dence,LT for low-grade NELM within the Milan criteria resulted in improved disease-free survival and overall survival compared to LR.The benefits of LT were lost in patients beyond the Milan NELM-criteria.Conclusions:With adherence to strict selection criteria especially tumor biology,LT for NELM is becoming a valuable option providing oncologic benefits compared to LR.Recent evidence suggests even stricter selection criteria with regard to tumor biology.

Liver transplantation as an alternative for the treatment of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma: A critical review

Background:Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma(phCCC)is a dismal malignancy.There is no consensus regard-ing the best treatment for patients with unresectable phCCC.The present review aimed to gather the current pieces of evidence for liver transplantation and liver resection as a treatment for phCCC and to build better guidance for clinical practice.Data sources:The search was conducted in PubMed,Embase,Cochrane,and LILACS.The related references were searched manually.Inclusion criteria were:reports in English or Portuguese literature that a)patients with confirmed diagnosis of phCCC;b)patients treated with a curative intent;c)patients with the outcomes of liver resection and liver transplantation.Case reports,reviews,letters,editorials,conference abstracts and papers with full-text unavailability were excluded from the analysis.Results:Most of the current literature is based on observational retrospective studies with low grades of evidence.Liver resection has better long-term outcomes than systemic chemotherapy or palliation ther-apy and liver transplantation is a good alternative for selected patients with unresectable phCCC.All candidates for resection or transplantation should be medically fit and free of intrahepatic or extrahep-atic diseases.As a general rule,patients presenting with a tumor having a longitudinal size>3 cm or extending below the cystic duct,lymph node disease,confirmed extrahepatic dissemination;intraoper-atively diagnosed metastatic disease;a history of other malignancies within the last five years,and did not complete chemoradiation regimen and were medically unfit should not be considered for transplan-tation.Some of these criteria should be individually assessed.Liver transplantation or resection should only be considered in highly experienced hepatobiliary centers,and any decision-making must be based on a multidisciplinary evaluation.Conclusions:phCCC is a complex condition with high morbidity.Surgical therapies,including hepatec-tomy and liver transplantation,are the best option for better long-term disease-free survival.

Liver transplantation as an alternative for the treatment of non-resectable liver colorectal cancer: Advancing the therapeutic algorithm

Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancerrelated mortality,with nearly half of the affected patients developing liver metastases.For three decades,liver resection(LR)has been the primary curative strategy,yet its applicability is limited to about 20%of cases.Liver transplantation(LT)for unresectable metastases was attempted unsuccessfully in the 1990s,with high rates of perioperative death and recurrence.There is now more interest in this strategy due to improvements in systemic therapies and surgical techniques.A significant study conducted by the Oslo group showed that patients receiving liver transplants had a 60%chance of survival after five years.Significantly better results have been achieved by using advanced imaging for risk stratification and further refining selection criteria,especially in the Norvegian SECA trials.This review carefully charts the development and history of LT as a treatment option for colorectal cancer liver metastases.The revolutionary path from the early days of exploratory surgery to the current situation of cautious optimism is traced,highlighting the critical clinical developments and improved patient selection standards that have made LT a potentially curative treatment for such challenging very well selected cases.

Use of machine learning models for the prognostication of liver transplantation: A systematic review

BACKGROUND Liver transplantation(LT)is a life-saving intervention for patients with end-stage liver disease.However,the equitable allocation of scarce donor organs remains a formidable challenge.Prognostic tools are pivotal in identifying the most suitable transplant candidates.Traditionally,scoring systems like the model for end-stage liver disease have been instrumental in this process.Nevertheless,the landscape of prognostication is undergoing a transformation with the integration of machine learning(ML)and artificial intelligence models.AIM To assess the utility of ML models in prognostication for LT,comparing their performance and reliability to established traditional scoring systems.METHODS Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines,we conducted a thorough and standardized literature search using the PubMed/MEDLINE database.Our search imposed no restrictions on publication year,age,or gender.Exclusion criteria encompassed non-English studies,review articles,case reports,conference papers,studies with missing data,or those exhibiting evident methodological flaws.RESULTS Our search yielded a total of 64 articles,with 23 meeting the inclusion criteria.Among the selected studies,60.8%originated from the United States and China combined.Only one pediatric study met the criteria.Notably,91%of the studies were published within the past five years.ML models consistently demonstrated satisfactory to excellent area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values(ranging from 0.6 to 1)across all studies,surpassing the performance of traditional scoring systems.Random forest exhibited superior predictive capabilities for 90-d mortality following LT,sepsis,and acute kidney injury(AKI).In contrast,gradient boosting excelled in predicting the risk of graft-versus-host disease,pneumonia,and AKI.CONCLUSION This study underscores the potential of ML models in guiding decisions related to allograft allocation and LT,marking a significant evolution in the field of prognostication.

Current status of liver transplantation for human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients in China's Mainland

According to the report from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention,the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)infection exceeded 1.2 million individuals by the year 2022,with an annual increase of about 80000 cases.The overall prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen among individuals co-infected with HIV reached 13.7%,almost twice the rate of the general population in China.In addition to the well-documented susceptibility to opportunistic infections and new malignancies,HIV infected patients frequently experience liver-related organ damage,with the liver and kidneys being the most commonly affected.This often leads to the development of end-stage liver and kidney diseases.Therefore,organ transplantation has emerged as an important part of active treatment for HIV infected patients.However,the curative effect is not satisfactory.HIV infection has been considered a contraindication for organ transplantation.Until the emergence of highly active anti-retroviral therapy in 1996,the once intractable replication of retrovirus was effectively inhibited.With prolonged survival,the failure of important organs has become the main cause of death among HIV patients.Therefore,transplant centers worldwide have resu-med exploration of organ transplantation for HIV-infected individuals and reached a positive conclusion.This study provides an overview of the current landscape of HIV-positive patients receiving liver transplantation(LT)in main-land China.To date,our transplant center has conducted LT for eight end-stage liver disease patients co-infected with HIV,and all but one,who died two months postoperatively due to sepsis and progressive multi-organ failure,have survived.Comparative analysis with hepatitis B virus-infected patients during the same period revealed no statistically significant differences in acute rejection reactions,cytomegalovirus infection,bacteremia,pulmonary infections,acute kidney injury,new-onset cancers,or vascular and biliary complications.

Interplay between mesenchymal stromal cells and the immune system after transplantation: implications for advanced cell therapy in the retina

Advanced mesenchymal stromal cell-based therapies for neurodegenerative diseases are widely investigated in preclinical models.Mesenchymal stromal cells are well positioned as therapeutics because they address the underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration,namely trophic factor deprivation and neuroinflammation.Most studies have focused on the beneficial effects of mesenchymal stromal cell transplantation on neuronal survival or functional improvement.However,little attention has been paid to the interaction between mesenchymal stromal cells and the host immune system due to the immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal stromal cells and the long-held belief of the immunoprivileged status of the central nervous system.Here,we review the crosstalk between mesenchymal stromal cells and the immune system in general and in the context of the central nervous system,focusing on recent work in the retina and the importance of the type of transplantation.

Relative carcinogenicity of tacrolimus vs mycophenolate after solid organ transplantation and its implications for liver transplant care

BACKGROUND De novo malignancy is a leading cause of late morbidity and mortality in liver transplant recipients.Cumulative immunosuppression has been shown to contribute to post-transplant malignancy(PTM)risk.There is emerging evidence on the differential carcinogenic risk profile of individual immunosuppressive drugs,independent of the net effect of immunosuppression.Calcineurin inhibitors such as tacrolimus may promote tumourigenesis,whereas mycophenolic acid(MPA),the active metabolite of mycophenolate mofetil,may limit tumour progression.Liver transplantation(LT)is relatively unique among solid organ transplantation in that immunosuppression monotherapy with either tacrolimus or MPA is often achievable,which makes careful consideration of the risk-benefit profile of these immunosuppression agents particularly relevant for this cohort.However,there is limited clinical data on this subject in both LT and other solid organ transplant recipients.AIM To investigate the relative carcinogenicity of tacrolimus and MPA in solid organ transplantation.METHODS A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE and Embase databases using the key terms“solid organ transplantation”,“tacrolimus”,“mycophenolic acid”,and“carcinogenicity”,in order to identify relevant articles published in English between 1st January 2002 to 11th August 2022.Related terms,synonyms and explosion of MeSH terms,Boolean operators and truncations were also utilised in the search.Reference lists of retrieved articles were also reviewed to identify any additional articles.Excluding duplicates,abstracts from 1230 records were screened by a single reviewer,whereby 31 records were reviewed in detail.Full-text articles were assessed for eligibility based on pre-specified inclusion and exclusion criteria.RESULTS A total of 6 studies were included in this review.All studies were large population registries or cohort studies,which varied in transplant era,type of organ transplanted and immunosuppression protocol used.Overall,there was no clear difference demonstrated between tacrolimus and MPA in de novo PTM risk following solid organ transplantation.Furthermore,no study provided a direct comparison of carcinogenic risk between tacrolimus and MPA monotherapy in solid organ transplantation recipients.CONCLUSION The contrasting carcinogenic risk profiles of tacrolimus and MPA demonstrated in previous experimental studies,and its application in solid organ transplantation,is yet to be confirmed in clinical studies.Thus,the optimal choice of immunosuppression drug to use as maintenance monotherapy in LT recipients is not supported by a strong evidence base and remains unclear.

Perilipin 5 regulates hepatic stellate cell activation and high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Background:Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)is one of the most common chronic liver diseases globally.Hepatic stellate cells(HSCs)are the major effector cells of liver fibrosis.HSCs contain abundant lipid droplets(LDs)in their cytoplasm during quiescence.Perilipin 5(PLIN 5)is a LD surface-associated protein that plays a crucial role in lipid homeostasis.However,little is known about the role of PLIN 5 in HSC activation.Methods:PLIN 5 was overexpressed in HSCs of Sprague–Dawley rats by lentivirus transfection.At the same time,PLIN 5 gene knockout mice were constructed and fed with a high-fat diet(HFD)for 20 weeks to study the role of PLIN 5 in NAFLD.The corresponding reagent kits were used to measure TG,GSH,Caspase 3 activity,ATP level,and mitochondrial DNA copy number.Metabolomic analysis of mice liver tissue metabolism was performed based on UPLC-MS/MS.AMPK,mitochondrial function,cell proliferation,and apoptosis-related genes and proteins were detected by western blotting and qPCR.Results:Overexpression of PLIN 5 in activated HSCs led to a decrease in ATP levels in mitochondria,inhibition of cell proliferation,and a significant increase in cell apoptosis through AMPK activation.In addition,compared with the HFD-fed C57BL/6J mice,PLIN 5 knockout mice fed with HFD showed reduced liver fat deposition,decreased LD abundance and size,and reduced liver fibrosis.Conclusion:These findings highlight the unique regulatory role of PLIN 5 in HSCs and the role of PLIN 5 in the fibrosis process of NAFLD.

Fecal microbiota transplantation for treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease:Mechanism,clinical evidence,and prospect

The population of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)patients along with relevant advanced liver disease is projected to continue growing,because currently no medications are approved for treatment.Fecal microbiota transplantation(FMT)is believed a novel and promising therapeutic approach based on the concept of the gut-liver axis in liver disease.There has been an increase in the number of pre-clinical and clinical studies evaluating FMT in NAFLD treatment,however,existing findings diverge on its effects.Herein,we briefly summarized the mechanism of FMT for NAFLD treatment,reviewed randomized controlled trials for evaluating its efficacy in NAFLD,and proposed the prospect of future trials on FMT.

Routine utilization of machine perfusion in liver transplantation:Ready for prime time?

The last decade has been notable for increasing high-quality research and dramatic improvement in outcomes with dynamic liver preservation.Robust evidence from numerous randomized controlled trials has been pooled by meta-analyses,providing the highest available evidence on the protective effect of machine perfusion(MP)over static cold storage in liver transplantation(LT).Based on a protective effect with less complications and improved graft survival,the field has seen a paradigm shift in organ preservation.This editorial focuses on the role of MP in LT and how it could become the new“gold standard”.Strong collaborative efforts are needed to explore its effects on long-term outcomes.

Transplantation of fibrin-thrombin encapsulated human induced neural stem cells promotes functional recovery of spinal cord injury rats through modulation of the microenvironment

Recent studies have mostly focused on engraftment of cells at the lesioned spinal cord,with the expectation that differentiated neurons facilitate recovery.Only a few studies have attempted to use transplanted cells and/or biomaterials as major modulators of the spinal cord injury microenvironment.Here,we aimed to investigate the role of microenvironment modulation by cell graft on functional recovery after spinal cord injury.Induced neural stem cells reprogrammed from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells,and/or thrombin plus fibrinogen,were transplanted into the lesion site of an immunosuppressed rat spinal cord injury model.Basso,Beattie and Bresnahan score,electrophysiological function,and immunofluorescence/histological analyses showed that transplantation facilitates motor and electrophysiological function,reduces lesion volume,and promotes axonal neurofilament expression at the lesion core.Examination of the graft and niche components revealed that although the graft only survived for a relatively short period(up to 15 days),it still had a crucial impact on the microenvironment.Altogether,induced neural stem cells and human fibrin reduced the number of infiltrated immune cells,biased microglia towards a regenerative M2 phenotype,and changed the cytokine expression profile at the lesion site.Graft-induced changes of the microenvironment during the acute and subacute stages might have disrupted the inflammatory cascade chain reactions,which may have exerted a long-term impact on the functional recovery of spinal cord injury rats.

Pediatric and adult liver transplantation in Bahrain: The experiences in a country with no available liver transplant facilities

BACKGROUND Liver transplantation(LT)is a life-saving procedure for patients with end-stage liver disease and has become the standard and most effective treatment method for these patients.There are many indications for LT that vary between countries and settings.The outcome of LT depends on the available facilities and surgical expertise,as well as the types of liver graft donors available.AIM To assess the clinical characteristics of patients from Bahrain who underwent LT overseas,and analyze factors affecting their survival.METHODS In this retrospective cohort study,we reviewed the medical records and overseas committee registry information of all pediatric and adult patients who were sent overseas to undergo LT by the Pediatric and Medical Departments of Salmaniya Medical Complex and Bahrain Defence Force Hospital via the Overseas Treatment Office,Ministry of Health,Kingdom of Bahrain,between 1997 and 2023.Demographic data,LT indication,donor-recipient relationship,overseas LT center,graft type,post-LT medications,and LT complications,were collected.Outcomes measured included the overall and 5-year LT survival rate.Fisher’s exact,Pearsonχ2,and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare the pediatric and the adults’group in terms of clinical characteristics,donor-recipient relationship,medication,complications,and outcome.Survival analysis was estimated via the Kaplan-Meier’s method.Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to detect predictors of survival.RESULTS Of the 208 eligible patients,170(81.7%)were sent overseas to undergo LT while 38(18.3%)remained on the waiting list.Of the 170 patients,167(80.3%)underwent LT and were included in the study.The majority of the patients were Bahraini(91.0%),and most were males(57.5%).One-hundred-and-twenty(71.8%)were adults and 47(28.3%)were children.The median age at transplant was 50.0[interquartile range(IQR):14.9–58.4]years.The main indication for pediatric LT was biliary atresia(31.9%),while that of adult LT was hepatitis C-related cirrhosis(35.0%).Six(3.6%)patients required re-transplantation.Most patients received a living-related liver graft(82%).Pediatric patients received more living and related grafts than adults(P=0.038 and P=0.041,respectively),while adult patients received more cadaveric and unrelated grafts.Most patients required long-term immunosuppressive therapy after LT(94.7%),of which tacrolimus was the most prescribed(84.0%),followed by prednisolone(50.7%),which was prescribed more frequently for pediatric patients(P=0.001).Most patients developed complications(62.4%)with infectious episodes being the most common(38.9%),followed by biliary stricture(19.5%).Tonsilitis and sepsis(n=12,8.1%for each)were the most frequent infections.Pediatric patients experienced higher rates of infection,rejection,and early poor graft function than adult patients(P<0.001,P=0.003,and P=0.025,respectively).The median follow-up time was 6.5(IQR:2.6–10.6)years.The overall survival rate was 84.4%,the 5-year survival rate,86.2%,and the mortality rate,15.6%.Younger patients had significantly better odds of survival(P=0.019)and patients who survived had significantly longer follow-up periods(P<0.001).CONCLUSION Patients with end-stage liver disease in Bahrain shared characteristics with those from other countries.Since LT facilities are not available,an overseas LT has offered them great hope.