European validation of the classification for the anticipated difficulty of liver transplantation.

Background: Appropriate risk stratification for the difficulty of liver transplantation (LT) is essential to guide the selection and acceptance of grafts and avoid morbidity and mortality.

Methods: Based on 987 LTs collected from 5 centers, perioperative outcomes were analyzed across the 3 difficulty levels. Each LT was retrospectively scored from 0 to 10.

Improvement of quality of care provided to outpatients with hepatic cirrhosis after an educational intervention.

Objective: A set of indicators has been reported to measure the quality of care for cirrhotic patients, and previously published studies report variable adherence rates to these indicators. This study aimed to assess the quality of care provided to cirrhotic outpatients before and after an educational intervention by determining its impact on adherence to quality indicators.

Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental, cross-sectional study including 324 cirrhotic patients seen in 2017 and 2019 at a tertiary teaching hospital in Spain.

Predicting survival in patients with 'non-high-risk' acute variceal bleeding receiving β-blockers+ligation to prevent re-bleeding.

Background & Aims: Pre-emptive transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is the treatment of choice for high-risk acute variceal bleeding (AVB; i.e., Child-Turcotte-Pugh [CTP] B8-9+active bleeding/C10-13).

A comprehensive assessment of long-term SARS-CoV-2-specific adaptive immune memory in convalescent COVID-19 Solid Organ Transplant recipients.

Long-term adaptive immune memory has been reported among immunocompetent individuals up to eight months following SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, limited data is available in convalescent patients with a solid organ transplant. To investigate this, we performed a thorough evaluation of adaptive immune memory at different compartments (serological, memory B cells and cytokine [IFN-γ, IL-2, IFN-γ/IL12 and IL-21] producing T cells) specific to SARS-CoV-2 by ELISA and FluoroSpot-based assays in 102 convalescent patients (53 with a solid organ transplants (38 kidney, 5 liver, 5 lung and 5 heart transplant) and 49 immunocompetent controls) with different clinical COVID-19 severity (severe, mild and asymptomatic) beyond six months after infection.

Decreased Long-Term Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2-Specific Humoral Immunity in Liver Transplantation Recipients 12 Months After Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Long-term humoral immunity and its protective role in liver transplantation (LT) patients have not been elucidated. We performed a prospective multicenter study to assess the persistence of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies in LT recipients 12 months after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). A total of 65 LT recipients were matched with 65 nontransplanted patients by a propensity score including variables with recognized impact on COVID-19.

Novel Composite Endpoint for Assessing Outcomes in Liver Transplantation: Arterial and Biliary Complication-Free Survival.

Transplant and patient survival are the validated endpoints to assess the success of liver transplantation (LT). This study evaluates arterial and biliary complication-free survival (ABCFS) as a new metric. ABC, considered as an event, was an arterial or biliary complication of Dindo-Clavien grade ≥III complication dated at the interventional, endoscopic, or surgical treatment required to correct it.

Textbook Outcome Following Liver Transplantation.

Background: Textbook outcome (TBO) is a patient-oriented composite criterion achieved when all desired main health outcomes are realized. The aim was to assess the incidence and the independent factors associated with TBO following LT.

Methods: This bicentric study included all patients who underwent their first elective liver-only LT between 2011 and 2015.

Defining Surgical Difficulty of Liver Transplantation.

Objective: To define technically Diff-LT.

Summary Of Background Data: Currently, there is no acknowledged definition of Diff-LT.

Methods: This retrospective study included all first consecutive liver-only transplantations performed in 2 centers from 2011 to 2015.

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome as a manifestation of acute antibody-mediated rejection after liver transplantation.

Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) after liver transplantation is uncommon but, when present, manifests as graft dysfunction. We report the case of a 54-year-old woman who developed portal hypertension with pleural effusion and ascites secondary to sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) due to acute AMR following an ABO-matched liver transplantation for autoimmune cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Initial immunosuppression comprised basiliximab, decreasing prednisone, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil.

Changes in humoral immune response after SARS-CoV-2 infection in liver transplant recipients compared to immunocompetent patients.

The protective capacity and duration of humoral immunity after SARS-CoV-2 infection are not yet understood in solid organ transplant recipients. A prospective multicenter study was performed to evaluate the persistence of anti-nucleocapsid IgG antibodies in liver transplant recipients 6 months after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resolution. A total of 71 liver transplant recipients were matched with 71 immunocompetent controls by a propensity score including variables with a well-known prognostic impact in COVID-19.

SARS-CoV-2-specific serological and functional T cell immune responses during acute and early COVID-19 convalescence in solid organ transplant patients.

The description of protective humoral and T cell immune responses specific against SARS-CoV-2 has been reported among immunocompetent (IC) individuals developing COVID-19 infection. However, its characterization and determinants of poorer outcomes among the at-risk solid organ transplant (SOT) patient population have not been thoroughly investigated. Cytokine-producing T cell responses, such as IFN-γ, IL-2, IFN-γ/IL-2, IL-6, IL-21, and IL-5, against main immunogenic SARS-CoV-2 antigens and IgM/IgG serological immunity were tracked in SOT (n = 28) during acute infection and at two consecutive time points over the following 40 days of convalescence and were compared to matched IC (n = 16) patients admitted with similar moderate/severe COVID-19.

Is Liver Retransplantation Justified in the Current Era?

Introduction: Liver retransplantation (LRT) is a controversial indication. Our aim was to evaluate the rate of LRT at our institution, and to analyze its indications and short- and long-term results.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of a prospectively collected database, including 1645 LT from 1984 to 2018.

Epidemiological pattern, incidence, and outcomes of COVID-19 in liver transplant patients.

Background & Aims: The incidence and outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in immunocompromised patients are a matter of debate.

Methods: We performed a prospective nationwide study including a consecutive cohort of liver transplant patients with COVID-19 recruited during the Spanish outbreak from 28 February to 7 April, 2020. The primary outcome was severe COVID-19, defined as the need for mechanical ventilation, intensive care, and/or death.

Ulcer bleeding after band ligation of esophageal varices: Risk factors and prognosis.

Background: Post-banding ulcer bleeding is a rare complication of endoscopic band ligation of esophageal varices with high morbidity and mortality. There exist no management guidelines for this complication.

Aims: To determine the incidence, outcome and risk factors of post-banding ulcer bleeding.

Effectiveness and safety of sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir in patients with chronic hepatitis C previously treated with DAAs.

Background & Aims: Around 5% of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection treated with direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents do not achieve sustained virological response (SVR). The currently approved retreatment regimen for prior DAA failure is a combination of sofosbuvir, velpatasvir, and voxilaprevir (SOF/VEL/VOX), although there is little data on its use in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to analyse the effectiveness and safety of SOF/VEL/VOX in the real-world setting.

Short- and long-term outcomes of arterial reconstruction on recipient splenic artery in adult liver transplantation. Single-center prospective study 25 years after first description.

Several techniques have been proposed for liver transplantation with inadequate hepatic artery (HA) anastomosis. We aimed to analyze outcomes of arterial reconstruction with the splenic artery (SA). This was a prospective study of our experience with recipients who underwent arterial anastomosis on the SA compared with patients who underwent standard HA.

Survival of patients with cirrhosis and acute peptic ulcer bleeding compared with variceal bleeding using current first-line therapies.

Unlabelled: The presence of cirrhosis increases the mortality of patients with peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB). Both acute variceal bleeding (AVB) and PUB are associated with substantial mortality in cirrhosis. This multicenter cohort study was performed to assess whether the mortality of patients with cirrhosis with PUB is different from that of those with AVB.

Multicenter External Validation of Risk Stratification Criteria for Patients With Variceal Bleeding.

Background & Aims: Early placement of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) is considered the treatment of choice for patients with acute variceal bleeding (AVB) and cirrhosis who have a high risk of death (Child-Pugh class B with active bleeding at endoscopy or Child-Pugh class C). It has been proposed that patients of Child-Pugh class B, even with active bleeding, should not be considered high risk. Alternative criteria have been proposed for identification of high-risk patients, such as Child-Pugh class C with plasma level of creatinine of 1 mg/dL or more (ChildC-C1) and a model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score of 19 or more.