Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J Lerut.
Open and laparoscopic hernia repairs have both their advantages and their indications. Both techniques are evaluated in relation to technical aspects, complications, recurrence rates and cost effectiveness.
Radiation-induced liver disease is recorded as a form of veno-occlusive disease. Its pathogenesis remains unclear even if the initial injury likely occurs in the endothelial cells of central veins. The aim of our study was to investigate liver morphological features in relation to alpha-isoform of smooth muscle actin expression in hepatic stellate cells in six patients treated by localized radiotherapy on the biliopancreatic area. Within the month after completion of treatment, an activation of hepatic stellate cells strictly confined to irradiated areas and coinciding with congestive changes was observed. At a later stage, collagen deposition gradually increased, replacing the congestive and destroyed areas. This new fibrotic tissue also contained numerous alpha-smooth muscle positive cells. Our data suggest that early hepatic stellate cells activation coinciding with congestive changes plays an important role in radiation liver injury and ensuing fibrosis.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Arterioportal fistulas (APFs) are rare vascular disorders of the mesenteric circulation. The aim of this study was to determine the etiology, anatomical location, and main symptom at presentation of APFs, and analyze the various modes of treatment. METHODS: The etiology, clinical presentation, radiographs, and treatment of 12 patients with APFs are reported in detail, and another 76 cases published since 1980 are reviewed. RESULTS: APFs result from trauma (n = 25, 28%), iatrogenic procedures (n = 14, 16%), congenital vascular malformations (n = 13, 15%), tumor (n = 13, 15%), aneurysm (n = 12, 14%), and other causes (n = 11, 12%). The origin of APFs is the hepatic artery in the majority of patients (n = 56, 65%). The main symptoms at presentation are lower or upper gastrointestinal bleeding (n = 29, 33%), ascites (n = 23, 26%), heart failure (n = 4.5%), or diarrhea (n = 4.5%). Radiological intervention provides definitive treatment in 42% (n = 33) of patients, whereas the remainder are treated by surgery alone (n = 27, 31%) or a combination of radiological intervention and surgery (n = 8, 9%). CONCLUSIONS: APFs result in a protean syndrome variously combining portal hypertension and other hemodynamic imbalances (heart failure, intestinal ischemia). Single or multiple interventional radiological procedures using arterial and/or venous approaches allow definitive treatment of most APFs. With increasing technological advances, it is anticipated that surgery will only be indicated in rare instances after failure of radiological intervention(s).
Recurrence of autoimmune hepatitis after orthotopic liver transplantation and after reduction in immunosuppressive treatment is reported in a 43-year-old man. Diagnosis was based on biological, serological and morphological data, as well as on a complete biological recovery following steroid resumption. Recurrence was observed only 4 months after transplantation, when an abrupt increase in liver function tests was observed in association with a mainly lobular hepatitis in liver biopsy. Such a histological appearance has been previously described in the case of recurrence after immunosuppressive treatment weaning in non-transplanted patients. In contrast, this histological feature has not been reported in the rare transplanted patients in whom such recurrence has been observed. Thereafter, the evolution of the disease in our patient remained slow, likely dampened by the administration of cyclosporine and azathioprine. Morphological features are detailed, and importance of immunosuppressive therapy in patients transplanted for end-stage autoimmune hepatitis is emphasized.
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A prospective trial was conducted in 129 recipients of primary liver transplantation, to compare induction immunosuppression using triple drug therapy (cyclosporine, steroids, and azathioprine; group 1, n = 42), versus triple drug therapy with a 10-day course of OKT3 (group 2, n = 44) or of the anti-interleukin-2 receptor monoclonal antibody LO-Tact-1 (group 3, n = 43). Two-year actual patient survival rates were 64%, 79%, and 93% in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (1 vs. 2, NS; I vs. III, P = 0.003; 2 vs. 3, NS). Up to 2 years after transplantation, 18%, 44%, and 53% of the grafts in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively, had not experienced steroid-resistant acute rejection (1 vs. 2, P = 0.002; 1 vs. 3, P = 0.007; 2 vs. 3, NS). The overall incidence of chronic rejection was 4%. OKT3 therapy, but not LO-Tact-1, significantly increased the incidence of cytomegalovirus infections (P = 0.019). In conclusion, immunoprophylaxis with LO-Tact-1 seemed to provide a liver graft acceptance rate at least as satisfactory as that with OKT3, without an increase in the incidence of infections.
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Two hundred and twenty-eight patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation for hepatitis B-related cirrhosis in 11 European Liver Transplant Centers were collected. The male/female ratio was 184/44, with a median age of 41 years (13-66). In 55 patients (24%) hepatocellular carcinoma was associated with liver disease. All cases were stratified for pre-orthotopic liver transplantation viral characteristics: HBV-DNA neg/HBeAg neg: 106 patients (47%), HBV-DNA neg/Delta pos: 80 (35.5%), HBV-DNA pos/HBeAg pos: 28 (12.5%), other 14 (5%). In 49 patients (21.4%) post-orthotopic liver transplantation passive prophylaxis with anti-HBs immunoglobulins was not followed, while in 179 patients the anti-HBs serum titer was kept above 100-200 mU/ml. Overall 5-year actuarial survival of the series was 54%. One hundred and eighty-five patients were evaluable for HBsAg reappearance in the serum at various intervals after orthotopic liver transplantation. Overall 3-year HBV-free survival of these patients was 55%. There was a significant difference in 3-year HBV-free survival between HBV-DNA neg (52%), HBV-DNA pos (13%) and Delta pos (73%) patients (p: 0.03). Sixty-three percent of patients in the prophylaxis group were HBV-free, compared to only 25% of untreated patients (p < 0.001). Three-year HBV-free survival in patients with or without HCC was 44% and 59%, respectively. Cox-multivariate analysis revealed that only post-transplantation prophylaxis (p: 0.003) and pre-transplantation viral activity (p: 0.004) can be considered as independent factors affecting HBV recurrence. Candidates with hepatocellular carcinoma in HBV-cirrhosis should not be excluded from orthotopic liver transplantation, supporting the idea of a higher risk of post-transplantation viral reactivation.
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A 32-year-old Portuguese with hereditary amyloidosis had been suffering from polyneuropathy for 9 years. It began insidiously with polyneuropathic complaints in the legs which gradually got worse over the years and progressively impaired walking. He also had signs of autonomic neuropathy with severe orthostatic dysregulation, abnormal micturition and impotence. His general state had deteriorated during the last 3 years with a weight loss of 18 kg, due to treatment-resistant diarrhoea. As there is so far no known cure of the amyloidosis, which usually ends fatally from cachexia after an average of 10 years, liver transplantation was performed to reduce amyloid production and thus favourably influence the course of the disease. The patient's general condition has remained stable 32 months after the transplantation.
This paper describes a quick procedure for cadaveric liver graft retrieval during multiple organ harvesting. The technique is based on minimal preliminary dissection, absence of in situ direct portal perfusion, and en bloc removal of the liver and pancreas, with an aortic patch encompassing the coeliac trunk and superior mesenteric artery. The results of 110 pediatric liver transplantations with 109 organs harvested using this technique are reported. There were no graft harvesting injuries. The liver graft primary nonfunction rate was 4.5% (5/110). The 3-month retransplantation rate was 10%. The actual patient survival rates were 93% at 3 months and 90% at 1 year; actual graft survival rates were 85.5% and 78%, respectively. The technique described was at least as safe as conventional procedures. A major advantage of the procedure is its flexibility, which allows for the easily combined procurement of other organs (whole pancreas and intestine).
Successful orthotopic liver transplantation may reverse extrahepatic manifestations of the primary chronic liver disease. A well documented improvement of Raynaud's phenomenon, following successful liver transplantation realized for end-stage primary biliary cirrhosis, using repetitive angiological examination and capillary microscopy is presented.
Early fulminant liver allograft failure is a post-transplant syndrome presenting as massive haemorrhagic necrosis of the graft. A single organ Shwartzman reaction has previously been suggested as a cause. We report on a patient who lost her liver graft due to fulminant graft failure ten days after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), the liver showing massive haemorrhagic necrosis. Fresh thrombosis was noted in the portal and hepatic veins. As a Shwartzman reaction could be expected to lead to complement deposition in vessel walls, tissue was analyzed for the presence of complement components. However, even though protein-rich and fibrinogen-containing deposits were detected within the vessel walls, these deposits were not immunoreactive for complement (C3 and Clq). These findings suggest that pathogenesis of fulminant liver allograft failure differs from that of a complement-mediated Shwartzman reaction, or of a hyperacute rejection, where IgM and Clq had previously been detected in hepatic veins and arteries.
The outcome after liver transplantation when grafts were retrieved from the donor by the classical aortic and portal cooling (APC) method was compared with the outcome when exclusively aortic in situ perfusion (AC) was used. Retrospectively, 163 donor hepatectomies performed over a 20-month period were reviewed to analyze overall graft (APC n = 78, AC n = 85) and patient outcome. The global graft and patient survival rates were not significantly lower in the APC group, except for 3-month graft survival (APC 72%, AC 87%; P = 0.015). However, this could be unrelated to the technique. In a subgroup of 140 cases (APC n = 64, AC n = 76), a more detailed analysis was performed. Populations of donors and recipients were similar. The graft injury and the immediate graft function were not significantly different between both groups. A multivariate analysis shows that low donor weight (P = 0.007), donor hypernatremia (P = 0.014), and in situ portal perfusion (P = 0.045) were significant determinants of a higher postoperative peak of glutamic pyruvic transaminase. In summary, in this series, routine human liver procurement using exclusive aortic perfusion seemed to be at least as safe as using a combined aortic and portal perfusion technique. This simplified method may also represent some advantages for combined pancreas and intestinal harvesting in the future.
Due to developments in surgical techniques and organ preservation, the shipping of renal and extrarenal organs is becoming increasingly more frequent. During the period from 1 January 1991 to 31 December 1992, 39 of 180 (21%) implanted liver allografts were shipped to our center by local harvesting teams. The fact that each of nine livers (23.1%) presented with minor and major (vascular and parenchymatous) problems stresses the need for better surgical training and standardization in procurement techniques. The introduction of a liver allograft feedback report could be an easy way to perform quality control.
BACKGROUND: Split liver grafting has not gained wide acceptance mainly because of different vascular and biliary technical problems. STUDY DESIGN: A new technique of right split liver transplantation is described. The piggyback implantation technique, using wide side-to-side cavocavostomy overcomes problems encountered when sharing the superhepatic vena cava cuff between two livers and obtains optimal drainage of venous allograft outflow, thus avoiding extensive bleeding at the transection margin. RESULTS: This technique was successfully used in two adult recipients. CONCLUSIONS: Piggyback transplantation using wide side-to-side cavocavostomy allows easy and safe implantation of the right split liver allograft.
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