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H Bismuth

Publications and source records attributed to H Bismuth.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Split-liver transplantation. The Paul Brousse policy.

OBJECTIVE: The authors objective is to report their recent experience with split-liver transplantation, focusing on the results and the impact on organ shortage. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: There is an insufficient number of organs for liver transplantation. Split-liver transplantation is a method to increase the number of grafts, but the procedure is slow to gain wide acceptance because of its complexity and the poor results reported in previous series. METHODS: During the year 1995, the authors split 20 of 83 transplantable livers allocated to the authors' center, generating 40 grafts: 23 were transplanted locally and 17 were given to partner centers. During the same period, the authors accepted four split-liver grafts proposed to them by other centers. Overall, 27 split-liver transplantations were done in the authors' unit, accounting for 30% of the 90 transplants performed in 1995. RESULTS: One-year patient and graft survival rates for split-liver transplantation were 79.4% and 78.5%, respectively. Arterial and biliary complications rates were 15% and 22%, respectively, with none leading to graft loss. Primary nonfunction occurred in one case (4%). By splitting 24 of 87 transplantable livers (4 of which were in partner units), a total of 111 transplantations were performed, increasing graft availability by 28%. CONCLUSIONS: Split-liver transplantation is achieving graft and patient survival rates similar to that of whole liver transplantation despite a higher incidence of complications, which could become less frequent as experience is gained with this procedure. A wider acceptance of split-liver transplantation could markedly increase the supply of liver grafts.

Adult↗

Biweekly intensified ambulatory chronomodulated chemotherapy with oxaliplatin, fluorouracil, and leucovorin in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE: This study sought to determine the feasibility and antitumor efficacy of an intensified three-drug chronomodulated regimen with maximum delivery at 4:00 AM for fluorouracil (5-FU)-leucovorin (folinic acid [FA]) and at 4:00 PM for oxaliplatin (I-OHP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty patients with metastatic colorectal cancer were enrolled in the trial. The first treatment course consisted of daily administration of 5-FU (700 mg/m2/d), FA (300 mg/m2/d), and L-OHP (25 mg/m2/d) for 4 days with a multichannel programmable pump. Courses were repeated every 14 days, with 5-FU escalation by 100 mg/m2/d if toxicity was less than grade 2. RESULTS: World Health Organization (WHO)-modified grade 3 or 4 diarrhea (40% of patients and 7% of courses) or stomatitis (28% of patients and 4% of courses) or grade 2 cumulative peripheral sensitive neuropathy (28% of patients) were dose-limiting. Median 5-FU and L-OHP dose-intensities (DIs), were increased by 32% and 18%, respectively, as compared with our previous 5 days on-16 days off schedule. The overall objective response rate was 48% (95% confidence limits [CL], 34% to 62%), being 40% (24% to 57%) in 37 previously treated patients and 69% (48% to 90%) in 13 chemotherapy-naive patients. A 5-FU DI > 1,400 mg/m2/wk over four courses was associated with a near doubling of the response rate. Residual metastases were surgically removed in 13 patients (26%). Median progression-free survival and survival durations were 9.3 months (95% CL, 6.6 to 11.2) and 17.8 months (95% CL, 14.1 to 21.4), respectively. CONCLUSION: This highly effective fully ambulatory outpatient regimen deserves further testing in randomized trials both in chemotherapy-naive patients and before surgery to remove metastases.

Adolescent↗

[Immunotherapy of tumors expressing IGF-I].

Recently we demonstrated that rat glioma cells when transfected with a vector encoding antisense IGF-I c-DNA lost tumorigenicity and induced a tumor specific immune response involving CD8+ lymphocytes. Here we showed, using immunostaining flow cytometry analysis, that the transfected cell lines, rat C-6 glioma and rat LF hepatoma, expressed an increase level of MHC-class I, and even the amount of MHC-I was found to be higher in the transfected hepatoma, than in the transfected glioma cells. This increased expression of MHC-I could contribute to the final immune recognition of tumour immunogenicity.

Animals↗

Re-resection for colorectal liver metastasis.

With the decreasing mortality and morbidity of liver resection in the last 10 years, a more aggressive approach has emerged against liver metastases of colorectal cancer. Repeat liver resection is being performed for patients with isolated liver recurrence following a first hepatectomy. Based on a 2-year experience of 55 repeat hepatic resections performed in 44 patients, the authors observed no operative mortality and a postoperative morbidity of 15% similar to that of first hepatectomies. Five-year survival rate is 44% following second hepatectomy. These results combined with the review of the literature demonstrate that rehapectomy may be performed safely and may provide the only chance of long-term remission in patients presenting with technically resectable liver recurrence in the absence of widespread extrahepatic disease.

Colonic Neoplasms↗

Epstein-Barr virus-related localized hepatic lymphoproliferative disorders after liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Localized hepatic post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease is uncommon. In such cases, lymphocyte Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection may promote an intrahepatic B-lymphocyte monoclonal expansion. METHODS: From 1990 to 1991, 149 patients underwent liver transplantation for various liver failures. Immunosuppressive therapy was azathioprine, cyclosporine-A, and methylprednisolone. Rejection episodes were treated by methylprednisolone bolus injection with or without OKT3 therapy. Three patients (2%), aged 38, 50, and 47 years, developed lymphoproliferative disease localized in the transplanted livers within 5 months of liver transplantation (a patient had been immunosuppressed for 3 years before the lymphoproliferative disease occurred within the third allografted liver). Diagnoses were obtained by fine needle aspiration. In situ hybridizations were performed with the kappa/lambda mRNA-kit FITC DAKO (DAKO Corporation, Carpenteria, CA) and the early mRNA-EBER oligonucleotide FITC DAKO: RESULTS: Lymphoproliferative diseases were all classified as diffuse polymorphic large cell lymphomas in the working formulation and considered as lymphoproliferative disorders with polymorphic large cells in the Frizzera classification. All large cells were CD20-positive, CD45-positive and CD45RO-negative. In situ mRNA light chain hybridization demonstrated monoclonality in two cases. In all three cases, EBV mRNA was detected in large cells by early mRNA-EBV (EBER) in situ hybridization. Patients were treated with doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and VM26. Two patients maintained a complete remission 3 years after six cycles of chemotherapy, whereas one died of an early opportunistic infection. CONCLUSION: Epstein-Barr virus may play a special role in the pathogenesis of lymphoproliferative disorders that develop in patients who have undergone liver transplantation.

Adult↗

Anti-donor antibody class switching after liver transplantation.

The humoral immune response directed against donor antigens was monitored by flow cytometry in 17 liver transplant patients using donor leukocytes as targets. Overall, donor-specific antibodies developed in 15 patients; these included all 9 patients who had experienced a biopsy-proven episode of acute rejection and 6 out of 8 patients who had not had an acute episode of rejection. The isotypes of the donor-specific antibodies in the 9 patients who had experienced an early episode of acute rejection were IgG in 8 patients, IgE in 8 patients, and IgA in 6 patients; all 9 patients had IgE and/or IgA antibodies. In the 6 patients who showed no evidence of acute clinical rejection but nevertheless developed donor-specific antibodies, the isotype was IgM associated in 5 of them, with an immunoglobulin class switching to the IgG isotype; none of these patients had antibodies of the IgA or IgE isotype. These results indicate that the lack of rejection of a liver allograft does not necessarily result from a lack of immune response against donor antigens. Rather, the distinct pattern of (cytokine dependent) immunoglobulin class switching suggests that the lack of liver graft rejection may be the result of an immune activation pathway distinct from that resulting in graft rejection.

Adult↗

The use of ABO-incompatible grafts in liver transplantation: a life-saving procedure in highly selected patients.

The aim of this study was to assess the long term results of 43 ABO-incompatible liver transplantations performed in 40 patients. The 5-year patient and graft survival rates were 50 and 20%, respectively. In the group of patients transplanted in emergency for fulminant or subfulminant liver failure, ABO incompatibility had no significant impact on patient survival (P = 0.09). Graft survival, however, was significantly impaired (P = 0.0002) through a greater incidence of hyperacute rejection (20%), vascular thrombosis, and biliary injury (56%). Increasing the magnitude of immunosuppression and postoperatively reducing the titer of anti A/B antibodies by plasmapheresis had little influence on the incidence of these complications and were associated with a greater incidence of septic complications. These results indicate that the use of ABO-incompatible liver grafts is a life-saving procedure in patients with life-threatening acute liver failure, but at a high price. Justification for accepting or not accepting an ABO-incompatible graft in these emergency situations depends on the personal choice in giving priority to saving the patient in an acute life-threatening condition or to giving the graft the best chance of success. To avoid this difficult choice, efforts should aim at expanding the pool of grafts available in emergency, at developing artificial support devices that could allow to safely delay transplantation, or at more efficiently controlling the humoral response.

ABO Blood-Group System↗

The effects of donor and recipient endotoxemia on TNF alpha production and mortality in the rat model of syngenic orthotopic liver transplantation.

The effects of administration of endotoxin to donors or recipients on the mortality rate, evolution of endotoxin levels, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) release were investigated in a syngenic orthotopic liver transplantation model in Lewis rats with portal reperfusion only. No significant recipient endotoxemia, TNF-alpha release, or mortality occurred in control recipients following transplantation from normal donors. The doses of endotoxin needed to kill 50% and 100% of animals after hepatic artery ligation were, respectively, 4 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg. Transplantation of animals' livers with no preservation phase from donors who were administered a lethal dose of endotoxin for this combination (10 mg/kg) produced significant recipient endotoxemia at 10 min (6.9 +/- 2.5 x 10(3) endotoxin unit/ml (EU/ml), P < 0.01), 45 min (8.8 +/- 1.1 x 10(3) EU/ml, P < 0.001) and 8 hr (18.5 +/- 3.5 x 10(3) EU/ml, P < 0.001) after graft reperfusion. Significant levels of TNF-alpha were also detected in these animals at 45 min (280 +/- 70 pg/ml, P < 0.007) and 8 hr (80 +/- 40 pg/ml, P < 0.05) when compared with the controls. Mortalities in recipients of OLT from donor animals that had received endotoxin (2 mg/kg or 4 mg/kg) immediately prior to the harvesting procedure was 0% and 20%, respectively, compared with no death in the control group. When recipient animals were administered endotoxin immediately after graft reperfusion the resistance to endotoxin administration was significantly reduced compared with animals that had not received OLT (LD50 < 2 mg/kg versus 4 mg/kg; LD100 4 mg/kg versus 10 mg/kg, respectively). These results show that endotoxin and its effects can be transferred from the liver graft donor to the recipient and that OLT per se reduces the recipient resistance to endotoxin with subsequent increase in mortality.

Animals↗

[Viral hepatitis and liver transplantation].

Chronic liver diseases due to hepatitis viruses are the main indication for liver transplantation. Recurrence of viral infection on the liver graft is responsible for the occurrence of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, or liver failure. The risk of viral recurrence may influence the indications for liver transplantation. The risk of viral B recurrence is higher in patients transplanted for viral B liver cirrhosis than for viral B-delta liver cirrhosis, and for fulminant hepatitis B. This risk is higher in patients with active viral B replication at time of transplantation. Long-term administration of anti-HBs immunoglobulins reduces significantly the HBV recurrence rate and the related mortality, especially in patients without active HBV replication at transplantation. Middle-term results for patients transplanted for viral C related liver cirrhosis are good, but the recurrence rate of HCV infection is high. Protocols of prevention of HCV recurrence after transplantation are mandatory.

Hepatic Encephalopathy↗

Influence of the genotypes of hepatitis C virus on the severity of recurrent liver disease after liver transplantation.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Several genotypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) have been identified by phylogenetic analysis, but their clinical relevance remains elusive. Liver transplantation for HCV-related cirrhosis offers a unique opportunity for prospective studies of this issue. METHODS: Sixty anti-HCV-positive liver recipients with precise virological and histological assessments were included. HCV genotype was determined with both type-specific capsid primers and a line probe genotyping assay. RESULTS: HCV genotype 1b was the predominant type before transplantation (40 of 60 patients); after liver transplantation, acute and chronic active hepatitis developed more frequently in these patients than in patients infected by other genotypes (31 of 40 and 24 of 40 vs. 8 of 20 and 4 of 20 patients). Actuarial rates of acute hepatitis and chronic active hepatitis were 77% and 59%, respectively, 3 years after transplantation in patients infected by type 1b and 40% (P = 0.008) and 22% (P = 0.004) in those infected by other types. There was no statistical relation between the level of HCV viremia and HCV genotypes both before and after transplantation. In contrast, after transplantation, serum HCV RNA values were significantly increased in patients who developed hepatitis after transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides direct evidence that HCV 1b is associated with more aggressive recurrent liver disease than other genotypes.

Actuarial Analysis↗

Kinetics of anti-M2 antibodies after liver transplantation for primary biliary cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Orthotopic liver transplantation is currently considered as the treatment of choice for primary biliary cirrhosis in the terminal stage and, as for other autoimmune liver disease, the risk of recurrence of the disease within the graft has been raised. There is, however, some discrepancy about the risk of recurrence based on pathological analysis. In addition, pathological recurrence of primary biliary cirrhosis within the graft is not always associated with a rise in the serological markers of the disease. In order to clarify this situation, we have monitored antimitochondrial antibodies before and after transplantation. METHODS: Antimitochondrial antibodies were detected by indirect immunofluorescence (variation in antibody titers) and the antimitochondrial antibodies-2 by western blotting (variation in the number of peptides recognized in 16 primary biliary cirrhosis patients followed for at least 4 years after transplantation. RESULTS: Antimitochondrial antibody titers had normalized 1 year after transplantation in seven patients, declined in seven others and remained unchanged in two. Over the 4 years of follow up, four patients demonstrated a subsequent increase in antimitochondrial antibody titers. Western blot analysis demonstrated the loss of one or more bands in seven patients during the first operative year after transplantation and in three other patients thereafter; in six patients the western blotting profile remained identical to that obtained before transplantation. The important changes generally occurred during the first year post-transplantation, without significant changes thereafter, except for three patients who demonstrated a secondary reappearance of the initially lost band. Disappearance of all bands was never observed. There was no concordance between the normalization of antimitochondrial antibody titers (indirect immunofluorescence) and the reduction in the number of peptides recognized (western blotting). Serum bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase levels had normalized by 1 year after transplantation, and remained normal thereafter. Routine liver biopsies performed on a yearly basis did not disclose any pattern suggestive of primary biliary cirrhosis recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Antimitochondrial antibody titers decreased in primary biliary cirrhosis patients after liver transplantation, although antimitochondrial antibodies-2 never disappeared as assessed by western blotting. In the present study these features were not associated with biochemical or histological (correction of histoclogical) evidence of primary biliary cirrhosis recurrence.

Adult↗

Primary sclerosing cholangitis: liver transplantation or biliary surgery.

BACKGROUND: Little information is available on the indications for, and the efficacy and timing of, liver transplantation in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). This issue is particularly relevant because prolonged survival has been reported in patients who do not undergo transplantation. METHODS: Long-term results of therapeutic interventions including liver transplantation was assessed in a representative series of 51 patients. Patient survival was compared with that expected from prognostic models. RESULTS: Actuarial symptom-free survival rate in patients treated by nontransplantation biliary surgery (n = 23) was 35% at 10 years. Actuarial survival rate from onset of PSC (56% at 10 years) was identical to that expected from the prognostic model. Actuarial patient (n = 28) survival rate 5 years after transplantation was greater than that expected from prognostic models (89% versus 31%; p < 0.001). Previous abdominal surgery was associated with an increased in-hospital mortality rate (p < 0.05). Cumulative actuarial incidence of cancer 5 and 10 years after the onset of PSC was 13% and 31%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Liver transplantation improves the prognosis of patients with PSC. Failure to identify patients who will benefit from nontransplantation therapeutic interventions or in whom a cancer will develop, and the risk associated with previous abdominal surgery, suggest that liver transplantation should be indicated early after onset of symptoms.

Adult↗