Influence of hepatic fibrosis and inflammation: Correlation between histopathological changes and Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging

Objective To evaluate the influence of an active inflammatory process in the liver on Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging in patients with different degrees of fibrosis/cirrhosis. Material and methods Overall, a number of 91 patients (61 men and 30 women; mean age 58 years) were included in this retrospective study. The inclusion criteria for this study were Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI of the liver and histopathological evaluation of fibrotic and inflammatory changes. T1-weighted VIBE sequences of the liver with fat suppression were evaluated to determine the relative signal change (RE) between native and hepatobiliary phase (20 min). In simple and multiple linear regression analyses, the influence of liver fibrosis/cirrhosis (Ishak score) and the histopathological degree of hepatitis (Modified Hepatic Activity Index, mHAI) on RE were evaluated. Results RE decreased significantly with increasing liver fibrosis/cirrhosis (p < 0.001) and inflammation (mHAI, p = 0.004). In particular, a correlation between RE and periportal or periseptal boundary zone hepatitis (moth feeding necrosis, mHAI A, p = 0.001) and portal inflammation (mHAI D, p < 0.001) was observed. In multiple linear regression analysis, both the degree of inflammation and the degree of fibrosis were significant predictors for RE (p < 0.01). Conclusion The results of this study suggest that the MR-based hepatic enhancement index RE is not only influenced by the degree of fibrosis, but also by the degree of inflammation

EnGraft: a multicentre, open-label, randomised, two-arm, superiority study protocol to assess bioavailability and practicability of Envarsus® versus Advagraf™ in liver transplant recipients

Background Graft rejection and chronic CNI toxicity remain obstacles to organ transplant success. Current formulations of tacrolimus, such as Prograf® and Advagraf™, exhibit limitations in terms of pharmacokinetics and tolerability, related in part to suboptimal bioavailability. As dosing non-compliance can result in graft rejection, the once daily formulation of tacrolimus, Advagraf™, was developed (vs 2x/day Prograf®). Benefits of Advagraf™ are counterbalanced by delayed achievement of therapeutic trough levels and need for up to 50% higher doses to maintain Prograf®-equivalent troughs. Envarsus® is also a prolonged-release once-daily tacrolimus formulation, developed using MeltDose™ drug-delivery technology to increase drug bioavailability; improved bioavailability results in low patient drug absorption variability and less pronounced peak-to-trough fluctuations. In phase III de novo kidney transplant studies, Envarsus® proved non-inferior to twice-daily tacrolimus; however, no phase IV studies show superiority of Envarsus® vs Advagraf™ in de novo liver transplant (LTx) recipients. Methods The EnGraft compares bioavailability and tests superiority of Envarsus® (test arm) versus Advagraf™ (comparator arm) in de novo LTx recipients. A total of 268 patients from 15 German transplant centres will be randomised 1:1 within 14 days post-LTx. The primary endpoint is dose-normalised trough level (C/D ratio) measured 12 weeks after randomisation. Secondary endpoints include the number of dose adjustments, time to reach first defined trough level and incidence of graft rejections. Additionally, clinical and laboratory parameters will be assessed over a 3-year period. Discussion C/D ratio is an estimate for tacrolimus bioavailability. Improving bioavailability and increasing C/D ratio using Envarsus could reduce renal dysfunction and other tacrolimus-related toxicities; previous trials have shown that a higher C/D ratio (i.e. slower tacrolimus metabolism) is not only associated with improved renal function but also linked to reduced neurotoxic side effects. A higher C/D ratio could improve clinical outcomes for LTx recipients; EnGraft has begun, with one third of patients recruited by January 2022

Factors influencing the fascial closure rate after open abdomen treatment: Results from the European Hernia Society (EuraHS) Registry

Purpose Definitive fascial closure is an essential treatment objective after open abdomen treatment and mitigates morbidity and mortality. There is a paucity of evidence on factors that promote or prevent definitive fascial closure. Methods A multi-center multivariable analysis of data from the Open Abdomen Route of the European Hernia Society included all cases between 1 May 2015 and 31 December 2019. Different treatment elements, i.e. the use of a visceral protective layer, negative-pressure wound therapy and dynamic closure techniques, as well as patient characteristics were included in the multivariable analysis. The study was registered in the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform via the German Registry for Clinical Trials (DRK00021719). Results Data were included from 630 patients from eleven surgical departments in six European countries. Indications for OAT were peritonitis (46%), abdominal compartment syndrome (20.5%), burst abdomen (11.3%), abdominal trauma (9%), and other conditions (13.2%). The overall definitive fascial closure rate was 57.5% in the intention-to-treat analysis and 71% in the per-protocol analysis. The multivariable analysis showed a positive correlation of negative-pressure wound therapy (odds ratio: 2.496, p < 0.001) and dynamic closure techniques (odds ratio: 2.687, p < 0.001) with fascial closure and a negative correlation of intra-abdominal contamination (odds ratio: 0.630, p = 0.029) and the number of surgical procedures before OAT (odds ratio: 0.740, p = 0.005) with DFC. Conclusion The clinical course and prognosis of open abdomen treatment can significantly be improved by the use of treatment elements such as negative-pressure wound therapy and dynamic closure techniques, which are associated with definitive fascial closure

Factors influencing the fascial closure rate after open abdomen treatment: Results from the European Hernia Society (EuraHS) Registry. Surgical technique matters

Purpose Definitive fascial closure is an essential treatment objective after open abdomen treatment and mitigates morbidity and mortality. There is a paucity of evidence on factors that promote or prevent definitive fascial closure. Methods A multi-center multivariable analysis of data from the Open Abdomen Route of the European Hernia Society included all cases between 1 May 2015 and 31 December 2019. Different treatment elements, i.e. the use of a visceral protective layer, negative-pressure wound therapy and dynamic closure techniques, as well as patient characteristics were included in the multivariable analysis. The study was registered in the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform via the German Registry for Clinical Trials (DRK00021719). Results Data were included from 630 patients from eleven surgical departments in six European countries. Indications for OAT were peritonitis (46%), abdominal compartment syndrome (20.5%), burst abdomen (11.3%), abdominal trauma (9%), and other conditions (13.2%). The overall definitive fascial closure rate was 57.5% in the intention-to-treat analysis and 71% in the per-protocol analysis. The multivariable analysis showed a positive correlation of negative-pressure wound therapy (odds ratio: 2.496, p < 0.001) and dynamic closure techniques (odds ratio: 2.687, p < 0.001) with fascial closure and a negative correlation of intra-abdominal contamination (odds ratio: 0.630, p = 0.029) and the number of surgical procedures before OAT (odds ratio: 0.740, p = 0.005) with DFC. Conclusion The clinical course and prognosis of open abdomen treatment can significantly be improved by the use of treatment elements such as negative-pressure wound therapy and dynamic closure techniques, which are associated with definitive fascial closure

Different collector types for sampling deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons - comparison of measurement results and their uncertainty

International audienceDifferent collector types, sample workup procedures and analysis methods to measure the deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were tested and compared. Whilst sample workup and analysis methods did not influence the results of PAH deposition measurements, using different collector types changed the measured deposition rates of PAH significantly. The results obtained with a funnel-bottle collector showed the highest deposition rates and a low measurement uncertainty. The deposition rates obtained with the wet-only collectors were the lowest at industrial sites and under dry weather conditions. For the open-jar collectors the measurement uncertainty was high. Only at an industrial site with extremely high PAH deposition rates the results of open-jar collectors were comparable to those obtained with funnel-bottle collectors. Thus, if bulk deposition of PAH has to be measured, funnel-bottle combinations are proved to be the collectors of choice. These collectors were the only ones always fulfilling the requirements of European legislation

Volume-Assisted Estimation of Remnant Liver Function Based on Gd-EOB-DTPA Enhanced MR Relaxometry: A Prospective Observational Trial

In the context of liver surgery, predicting postoperative liver dysfunction is essential. This study explored the potential of preoperative liver function assessment by MRI for predicting postoperative liver dysfunction and compared these results with the established indocyanine green (ICG) clearance test. This prospective study included patients undergoing liver resection with preoperative MRI planning. Liver function was quantified using T1 relaxometry and correlated with established liver function scores. The analysis revealed an improved model for predicting postoperative liver dysfunction, exhibiting an accuracy (ACC) of 0.79, surpassing the 0.70 of the preoperative ICG test, alongside a higher area under the curve (0.75). Notably, the proposed model also successfully predicted all cases of liver failure and showed potential in predicting liver synthesis dysfunction (ACC 0.78). This model showed promise in patient survival rates with a Hazard ratio of 0.87, underscoring its potential as a valuable tool for preoperative evaluation. The findings imply that MRI-based assessment of liver function can provide significant benefits in the early identification and management of patients at risk for postoperative liver dysfunction

Factors influencing the fascial closure rate after open abdomen treatment: Results from the European Hernia Society (EuraHS) Registry

Purpose!#!Definitive fascial closure is an essential treatment objective after open abdomen treatment and mitigates morbidity and mortality. There is a paucity of evidence on factors that promote or prevent definitive fascial closure.!##!Methods!#!A multi-center multivariable analysis of data from the Open Abdomen Route of the European Hernia Society included all cases between 1 May 2015 and 31 December 2019. Different treatment elements, i.e. the use of a visceral protective layer, negative-pressure wound therapy and dynamic closure techniques, as well as patient characteristics were included in the multivariable analysis. The study was registered in the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform via the German Registry for Clinical Trials (DRK00021719).!##!Results!#!Data were included from 630 patients from eleven surgical departments in six European countries. Indications for OAT were peritonitis (46%), abdominal compartment syndrome (20.5%), burst abdomen (11.3%), abdominal trauma (9%), and other conditions (13.2%). The overall definitive fascial closure rate was 57.5% in the intention-to-treat analysis and 71% in the per-protocol analysis. The multivariable analysis showed a positive correlation of negative-pressure wound therapy (odds ratio: 2.496, p &amp;lt; 0.001) and dynamic closure techniques (odds ratio: 2.687, p &amp;lt; 0.001) with fascial closure and a negative correlation of intra-abdominal contamination (odds ratio: 0.630, p = 0.029) and the number of surgical procedures before OAT (odds ratio: 0.740, p = 0.005) with DFC.!##!Conclusion!#!The clinical course and prognosis of open abdomen treatment can significantly be improved by the use of treatment elements such as negative-pressure wound therapy and dynamic closure techniques, which are associated with definitive fascial closure