Carrying on with liver transplantation during the COVID-19 emergency: Report from Piedmont region

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is an emergency worldwide. In Italy, liver transplant activity was carried on, but despite all efforts, a 25% reduction of procured organs has already been observed during the first 4 weeks of the outbreak. Aims: To analyze if our strategy and organization of LT pathway during the first two months of the COVID-19 emergency succeeded in keeping a high level of LT activity, comparing the number of LT in the first two months with the same period of time in 2019. Methods: We compared the liver transplants performed in our Center between February 24th and April 17th, 2020 with liver transplants performed in the same period in 2019. Results: In 2020, 21 patients underwent liver transplantation from deceased donors, exactly as the year before, without statistically significant difference. All patients survived in both groups, and the rate of early graft dysfunction was 24% in 2020 and 33% in 2019. In 2020 Median MELD was higher (17 vs 13). We were able to perform 3 multiorgan transplants and one acute liver failure. Nobody died on waiting list. The performance of our Center, despite the maxi-emergency situation, was steady and this was the result of a tremendous team working within the hospital and in our region. Conclusions: Team working allowed our Center to maintain its activity level, taking care of patients before and after liver transplantation. Sharing our experience, we hope to be helpful to other Centers that are facing the pandemic and, if another pandemic comes, to be more prepared to deal with it

Feasibility and safety of G-CSF administration to induce bone marrow-derived cells mobilization in patients with end stage liver disease

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate feasibility, safety and pattern of bone marrow-derived cells (BMC) mobilization in patients with end stage liver cirrhosis following granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) administration. METHODS: Eight patients with severe liver cirrhosis (Child-Pugh score B-C, spleen diameter less than 170 mm) were included. They were treated with G-CSF (5 microg/kg b.i.d for three consecutive days) to mobilize BMC, evaluated as circulating CD34+ve cells (flow cytometry) and myeloid CFU-GM progenitors (in vitro colony growth assay). Co-expression in CD34+ve cells markers of differentiation (Thy1, CD133, CXCR4, c1qRp) were investigated on CD34+ve cells by double direct immunofluorescence. Data from 40 healthy haematopoietic stem cell donors were used as controls. RESULTS: Mobilization of CD34+ve cells occurred in all patients. It was paralleled by expansion of circulating CFU-GM progenitors. Circulating CD34+ve cells co-expressed epithelial and stem cell markers in both cirrhotics and volunteer stem cell donors. G-CSF was well tolerated, no adverse event occurred, a significant reversible increase of splenic longitudinal diameter was observed. CONCLUSIONS: (i) G-CSF mobilization of BMC co-expressing epithelial and stem markers occurred in all cirrhotic patients; (ii) splenomegaly up to 170 mm does not prevent safe BMC mobilization following G-CSF in patients with end stage liver disease; (iii) mobilized BMC may represent an easy immature cell source potentially useful for novel approaches for liver regeneration