Impact of donor age over 70 years in donation after circulatory death liver transplantation: a 15 years of experience

peer reviewedBackground: Advanced donor age has been identified as a risk factor in donation after circulatory death (DCD 3) liver transplantation (LT), associated with poor graft function and development of ischemic cholangiopathy. In this study, we evaluated the results after DCD 3 LT using grafts from donors over 70 years compared to younger grafts (<70 years). Methods: We retrospectively analysed outcome after DCD 3 LT (n=228), comparing donors 70 years (n=53) and <70 years (n=175) from our center between 2003 and 2020. The two age groups were compared in terms of graft and patient survivals at 1, 3 and 5 years, in terms of donor and recipient demographics, transplant conditions and labora- tory values. Results: The overall graft survivals at 1, 3 and 5 years were 88, 75, 70 per cent respectively. Graft survival rates were not significantly diffe- rent at 5 years between the two groups (P = 0,536). No difference was noted in incidence of acute rejection, biliary strictures, hepatic artery thrombosis or retransplantation rates between the two groups. The time of cold ischemia was significatively lower in the older group (mean 235 min; SD 72) than in younger donor (mean 258 min; SD 72) (p=0.012). The posttransplant AST peak was significatively higher in the advanced age donor group than the second group with 2201±2703 U/L vs 1561U/L (SD 2151±2151 U/L), respectively (p= 0.04).Conclusions: Results for DCD LT from 70-yr-old grafts were similar to those from younger donors. Advanced donors should not be discarded for liver donation if other donor risk factors (such as cold ischemia time and graft quality) are limited

DONATION AFTER CIRCULATORY DEATH LIVER TRANSPLANTATION: IS DONOR AGE AN ISSUE?

Background: Donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors > 55 years are usually not considered suitable for liver transplantation (LT). At our institute, age is not an absolute exclusion criterion to refuse DCD liver grafts. We retrospectively compared the transplant outcome of patients receiving older DCD liver grafts to the younger ones. Methods: 70 DCD liver transplants have been performed from 2003 to 2012, which includes 32 liver grafts from younger donors <55y (group A), 20 between 56 and 69 years (group B), and 18 from older donors ≥70 years (group C). The three groups were compared in terms of donor and recipient demographics, procurement and transplantation conditions, peak laboratory values during the first post-transplant week and results at one and three years. Results are expressed as median IQR. Results: No difference other than age in donor and recipient characteristics as well as procurement conditions was noted between both groups. Median donor age of the group A was 44 (38-45) years, in group B 62 (60-64) years and 73 (71-75) in group C. Median primary warm ischemia time (WIT) were 20 (17-22), 21 (19-25) and 19 (16-23) min, respectively (NS). Median cold ischemia time (CIT) was 236 (229-294), 245 (227-290) and 210 (195-277) min, respectively (NS). Peak AST (UI/ml) was 1162 (1072-3971), 1416 (1006-2752), and 1067 (902-4037), respectively (NS). There was no primary nonfunction and one patient needed retransplantation for artery thrombosis. Biliary complications occurred similarly in both groups, without graft loss secondary to ischemic cholangiopathy. Graft and patient survivals were not different at one and three years. Conclusion: This study shows comparable results between DCD liver transplants from younger and older donors. Therefore donor age >55 years should not be a contraindication to DCD liver transplantation if other donor risk factors (such as WIT, CIT) are minimized

Delayed graft function does not harm the future of donation-after- cardiac-death kidney transplants

Introduction: Delayed graft function (DGF) occurs more frequently in kidney transplants from donation after cardiac death (DCD) than from donation after brain death (DBD). We investigated the effect of DGF on post-transplant outcomes in controlled DCD kidney grafts. Patients and Methods: This single-center retrospective study recruited 80 controlled DCD kidney allo- grafts which have been performed at the University Hospital of Sart Tilman, University of Liège, from Jan 2005 to Dec 2011. Results: Mean patient follow-up was 28.5 months. No primary non-function grafts were encountered. DGF rate was 36%. Overall graft survivals between groups with and without DGF were 92.4% and 95.1% at 1 year, 92.4% and 91.7% at 3 years, and 84.7% and 91.7% at 5 years (p=ns), respectively. Patients with and without DGF had the same survival rates at the corresponding time points (92.4% and 97.1%, 92.4% and 93.7%, and 84.7% and 93.7%, p=ns, respectively). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was significantly lower in DGF group compared to non-DGF group at hospital discharge (29 vs 42 ml/min, p=0.001) and up to 1 year post-transplant (46 vs 53 ml/min, p=0.045), but the differ- ence disappeared afterwards (50 vs 48 ml/min at 3 years, and 54 vs 53 ml/min at 5 years, p=ns). DGF did not increase the risk of acute rejection or surgical complications. 29.6% of recipients with DGF de- veloped acute rejection (biopsy-proven rejection and clinically suspected rejection) compared with 29.2% of recipients without DGF (p=ns). The rate of all surgical complications was 33.3% and 25% in recipients with and without DGF (p=ns). However, DGF prolonged significantly the length of hospitaliza- tion in DGF than non-DGF group (18.9 vs 13 days, p=0.000). Donor BMI 30 kg/m2 30 kg/m2 and pre-transplant dialysis duration increased the risk of DGF in a multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusions: Apart from longer hospital stay, DGF had no deleterious impact on the future of DCD kidney allografts. Comparable graft and patient survival, renal function, rejection rate and surgical com- plications were observed between groups with and without DGF

Fulminant Hepatic Failure Induced by Venlafaxine and Trazodone Therapy: A Case Report.

Although acute hepatitis may be a side effect of many medications, most cases are reversible after treatment interruption, and fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is rare. Venlafaxine and trazodone are 2 popular antidepressant agents. Alteration of liver enzyme levels has been reported as a side effect of these drugs at normal doses. Herein we have reported the case of a 48-year-old woman without any previous history of liver disease, who developed fulminant liver failure after 4 months of venlafaxine and trazodone therapy. She required liver transplantation, a procedure that was successful with full patient recovery. The first 5 years of follow-up were uneventful. This case documented that venlafaxine and trazodone at normal doses can produce severe liver toxicity. Liver tests should be monitored regularly in patients who receive this therapy

Cadaveric liver transplantation for non-acetaminophen fulminant hepatic failure: A 20-year experience

AIM: To investigate the long-term results of liver transplantation (LT) for non-acetaminophen fulminant hepatic failure (FHF). METHODS: Over a 20-year period, 29 FHF patients underwent cadaveric whole LT. Most frequent causes of FHF were hepatitis B virus and drug-related (not acetaminophen) liver failure. All surviving patients were regularly controlled at the out-patient clinic and none was lost to follow-up. Mean follow-up was 101 mo. RESULTS: One month, one-, five- and ten-year patient survival was 79%, 72%, 68% and 68%, respectively. One month, one-, five- and ten-year graft survival was 69%, 65%, 51% and 38%, respectively. Six patients needed early (< 2 mo) retransplantation, four for primary non-function, one for early acute refractory rejection because of ABO blood group incompatibility, and one for a malignant tumor found in the donor. Two patients with hepatitis B FHF developed cerebral lesions peri-transplantion: One developed irreversible and extensive brain damage leading to death, and one suffered from deep deficits leading to continuous medical care in a specialized institution. CONCLUSION: Long-term outcome of patients transplanted for non-acetaminophen FHF may be excellent. As the quality of life of these patients is also particularly good, LT for FHF is clearly justified, despite lower graft survival compared with LT for other liver diseases. (C) 2007 The WJG Press. All rights reserved

Donation after cardiac death: a forgotten organ source?

La transplantation est aujourd’hui victime de son succès. Les procédures de prélèvement à coeur arrêté se doivent de respecter les règles d’éthique et les dispositions légales en la matière. La pénurie relative d’organes sera partiellement comblée lorsqu’elles seront appliquées dans une majorité d'hôpitaux du pays

Liège experience in donation after cardiac death liver transplantation: 2003-2011

Objectives: Results of DCD-LT at the University Hospital of Liège were evaluated from 2003 to 2011. Methods: Medical records of 56 DCD liver recipients were retrospectively reviewed with regard to patient and graft survivals and biliary complications. Mean follow-up was 26.4 months. Mean donor age was 56.3±14.5 years (25 - 83). Donor causes of death were due to anoxia (51.8%), stroke (32.1%) and head trauma (14.3%). Mean WIT, CIT and suture time were 20.5±7.1min (10 – 39), 265.6±85.1min (105 – 576), and 40.8±7.8 min (25 – 61), respectively. 95% of liver grafts were locally shared. HTK was the most commonly used perfusion solution (86%). Mean recipient age was 56.6±10.5 years (29 – 73). Indications for LT included ESLD (53.6%) and HCC (46.6%). Mean MELD score at transplant was 15.6±6.1points (6 – 40). Results: No primary non-function grafts. Mean peak serum AST and bilirubin levels were 2520±3621UI/L and 50.2±49.2mg/L, respectively. Eight patients (14.3%) developed biliary complications. No intra-hepatic bile duct strictures or re-transplantation. Global patient and graft survival was 92.6% at 3 months, 92.6% at 1 year, 73.8% at 3 years and 60% at 5 years. Death-censored patient and graft survival at the corresponding time points was 92.6%, 92.6%, 87.7% and 87.7%. Thirteen liver grafts were lost during follow-up exclusively due to recipient deaths. The rate of HCC recurrence was 33.3%. Conclusions: Controlled DCD donors are a valuable source of transplantable liver grafts. Primary results are encouraging and apparently as good as those from brain-dead donation LT essentially due to short WIT and CIT