Treatment of portal vein thrombosis in cirrhosis is associated with no survival advantage: a retrospective controlled study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is associated with increased mortality post-transplant, but treatment of the clot is not definitively associated with improvement in mortality. We aimed to assess the effect of anticoagulation (AC), transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS), or best supportive care only (SCO) as treatment options in patients with PVT and cirrhosis. METHODS: This was a retrospective controlled cohort study from a large urban health system. Patients with cirrhosis and PVT were identified and analyzed based on treatment provided (1) AC, (2) TIPS, and (3) SCO. Outcomes included patent portal vein at the end of follow-up and overall mortality. RESULTS: 150 patients on AC, 93 who underwent TIPS, and 172 who received SCO were analyzed. Final portal vein (PV) patency was not significantly different by treatment group in those with partial obstruction at presentation (p = 0.64), while any treatment improved final patency over SCO in those presenting with complete obstruction (p = 0.01). Rate of survival, transplant-free survival, and successful liver transplantation were not different between treatment groups. CONCLUSION: In our cohorts, treatment of PVT versus SCO showed no impact on survival in those presenting with partial obstruction of the PV. In those with complete obstruction, any treatment was more effective than SCO in achieving patency of the PV, but overall survival was no different. PVT may not be a pathologic mechanism that causes worsening of liver disease but may be an event in the progression that in itself is not directly responsible for worsening liver function.

Procedural-Related Bleeding in Hospitalized Patients With Liver Disease (PROC-BLeeD): An International, Prospective, Multicenter Observational Study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hospitalized patients with cirrhosis frequently undergo multiple procedures. The risk of procedural-related bleeding remains unclear, and management is not standardized. We conducted an international, prospective, multicenter study of hospitalized patients with cirrhosis undergoing nonsurgical procedures to establish the incidence of procedural-related bleeding and to identify bleeding risk factors. METHODS: Hospitalized patients were prospectively enrolled and monitored until surgery, transplantation, death, or 28 days from admission. The study enrolled 1187 patients undergoing 3006 nonsurgical procedures from 20 centers. RESULTS: A total of 93 procedural-related bleeding events were identified. Bleeding was reported in 6.9% of patient admissions and in 3.0% of the procedures. Major bleeding was reported in 2.3% of patient admissions and in 0.9% of the procedures. Patients with bleeding were more likely to have nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (43.9% vs 30%) and higher body mass index (BMI; 31.2 vs 29.5). Patients with bleeding had a higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score at admission (24.5 vs 18.5). A multivariable analysis controlling for center variation found that high-risk procedures (odds ratio [OR], 4.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.44-8.84), Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score (OR, 2.37; 95% CI, 1.46-3.86), and higher BMI (OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.10-1.80) independently predicted bleeding. Preprocedure international normalized ratio, platelet level, and antithrombotic use were not predictive of bleeding. Bleeding prophylaxis was used more routinely in patients with bleeding (19.4% vs 7.4%). Patients with bleeding had a significantly higher 28-day risk of death (hazard ratio, 6.91; 95% CI, 4.22-11.31). CONCLUSIONS: Procedural-related bleeding occurs rarely in hospitalized patients with cirrhosis. Patients with elevated BMI and decompensated liver disease who undergo high-risk procedures may be at risk to bleed. Bleeding is not associated with conventional hemostasis tests, preprocedure prophylaxis, or recent antithrombotic therapy.

What is the optimal management of thromboprophylaxis after liver transplantation regarding prevention of bleeding, hepatic artery, or portal vein thrombosis? A systematic review of the literature and expert panel recommendations.

BACKGROUND: A key tenet of clinical management of patients post liver transplantation (LT) is the prevention of thrombotic and bleeding complications. This systematic review investigated the optimal management of thromboprophylaxis after LT regarding portal vein thrombosis (PVT) or hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) and prevention of bleeding. METHODS: Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines and recommendations using the GRADE approach derived from an international expert panel. Seven databases were used to conduct extensive literature searches focusing on the use of anticoagulation in LT and its impact on the following outcomes: PVT, HAT, and bleeding (CRD42021244288). RESULTS: Of the 2478 articles/abstracts screened, 16 studies were included in the final review. All articles were critically appraised by a panel of independent reviewers. There was wide variation regarding the anticoagulation protocols used. Thromboprophylaxis with therapeutic doses of heparin/Vitamin K antagonist combination did not decrease the risk of de novo or the recurrence of PVT but was associated with an increased risk of bleeding in some studies. Only the use of aspirin resulted in a small but significant decrease in the incidence of HAT post-LT, yet it did not increase the risk of bleeding. CONCLUSIONS: Based on existing data and expert opinion, thromboprophylaxis at therapeutic or prophylactic dose is not recommended for prevention of de novo PVT following LT in patients not at high risk. Aspirin should be considered as the standard of care following LT to prevent HAT. Thromboprophylaxis should be strongly considered in recipients at risk of HAT and PVT following LT.

North American Practice-Based Recommendations for Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunts in Portal Hypertension.

Complications of portal hypertension, including ascites, gastrointestinal bleeding, hepatic hydrothorax, and hepatic encephalopathy, are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite few high-quality randomized controlled trials to guide therapeutic decisions, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) creation has emerged as a crucial therapeutic option to treat complications of portal hypertension. In North America, the decision to perform TIPS involves gastroenterologists, hepatologists, and interventional radiologists, but TIPS creation is performed by interventional radiologists. This is in contrast to other parts of the world where TIPS creation is performed primarily by hepatologists. Thus, the successful use of TIPS in North America is dependent on a multidisciplinary approach and technical expertise, so as to optimize outcomes. Recently, new procedural techniques, TIPS stent technology, and indications for TIPS have emerged. As a result, practices and outcomes vary greatly across institutions and significant knowledge gaps exist. In this consensus statement, the Advancing Liver Therapeutic Approaches group critically reviews the application of TIPS in the management of portal hypertension. Advancing Liver Therapeutic Approaches convened a multidisciplinary group of North American experts from hepatology, interventional radiology, transplant surgery, nephrology, cardiology, pulmonology, and hematology to critically review existing literature and develop practice-based recommendations for the use of TIPS in patients with any cause of portal hypertension in terms of candidate selection, procedural best practices and, post-TIPS management; and to develop areas of consensus for TIPS indications and the prevention of complications. Finally, future research directions are identified related to TIPS for the management of portal hypertension.

Lose Weight to Donate: Development of a Program to Optimize Potential Donors With Hepatic Steatosis or Obesity for Living Liver Donation.

BACKGROUND: Living donor liver transplantation offers an attractive option to reduce the waitlist mortality. However, in recent years, the rising prevalence of obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has posed a serious threat to the donor pool while simultaneously increasing demand for liver transplant. To our knowledge, there have been no major published studies in the United States documenting a diet and exercise intervention to expand the living donor pool. Hereby, we established a pilot program called "Lose Weight to Donate" and present our initial experience. METHODS: Our center instituted a remotely monitored diet and exercise pilot program to increase eligibility for living liver donation. Potential donors with any of the following were included: body mass index >30 kg/m2, hepatic steatosis >5% on screening MRI, or isolated hypertension. RESULTS: Over 19 mo, 7 individuals enrolled in the program of remote monitoring for at least 6-8 wk. Initial and follow-up abdominal MRI was performed in 5 of these individuals to assess steatosis, anatomy, and volume. Initial steatosis was highly variable (fat signal fraction range, 8%-26%). Follow-up MRI fat signal fraction values and hepatic volume all decreased to varying degrees. Ultimately, 2 of 7 individuals donated, whereas a third was approved, but the intended recipient was transplanted in the interim. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate the feasibility of a remotely monitored program to expand donation in light of the rising incidence of hepatic steatosis and obesity.

Abnormal cholesterol metabolism underlies relative adrenal insufficiency in decompensated cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Relative adrenal insufficiency (RAI) in patients with cirrhosis is associated with increased mortality. Although the pathogenesis of RAI remains unclear, disordered cholesterol metabolism may contribute. METHODS: We performed a prospective cohort study of 96 non-critically ill subjects with decompensated cirrhosis at a tertiary care centre. Subjects were administered 250 µcg cosyntropin, with RAI defined as an increase in total cortisol <9 µg/dL. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and serum cholesterol esterification percentage (%CE), a validated surrogate marker of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity, were measured to assess the relationship between disordered cholesterol metabolism and the presence of RAI. Subjects were followed until death, liver transplantation or a maximum of 6 months. RESULTS: Subjects with RAI had decreased levels of HDL (18 vs 29 mg/dL, P < .01) and %CE (64% vs 66%, P = .03). Correlation was seen between HDL and %CE (r = 0.7, R2  = 0.49; P < .01) and each integer decrease in %CE predicted an approximately 2% increase in the probability of RAI. Transplant-free survival was reduced in subjects with RAI at both 6 months (43% vs 71%, P = .01) and 90 days (54% vs 81%, P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Disruption in cholesterol metabolism contributes to the development of RAI in cirrhosis, as decreased LCAT activity leads to reduced HDL trafficking to the adrenal gland.

Treatment of bleeding in patients with liver disease.

Patients with cirrhosis frequently have complex alterations in their hemostatic system. Although routine diagnostic tests of hemostasis in cirrhosis (platelet count, prothrombin time, fibrinogen level) are suggestive of a bleeding tendency, it is now widely accepted that these tests do not reflect hemostatic competence in this population. Rather, patients with cirrhosis appear to have a rebalanced hemostatic system with hypercoagulable elements. Therefore, routine correction of hemostasis laboratory values, for example by fresh frozen plasma or platelet concentrates, with the aim to avoid spontaneous or procedure-related bleeding is not indicated as is outlined in recent clinical guidance documents. However, little guidance on how to manage patients with cirrhosis that are actively bleeding is available. Here we present three common bleeding scenarios, variceal bleeding, post-procedural bleeding and bleeding in a critically ill cirrhosis patient, with specific management suggestions. As patients with cirrhosis generally have adequate hemostatic competence and as bleeding complications may be unrelated to hemostatic failure, prohemostatic therapy is not the first line of management in bleeding patients with cirrhosis, even in the presence of markedly abnormal platelet counts and/or prothrombin times. We provide a rationale for the restrictive approach to prohemostatic therapy in bleeding patients with cirrhosis.

Management of Portal Vein Thrombosis in Cirrhosis.

While portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is a frequently encountered complication in the cirrhosis population, its management can be challenging for even the most experienced clinicians. Multiple factors must be considered with regards to management, including the degree of underlying portal hypertension and liver dysfunction, risks of therapies including anticoagulation and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement, and extent of the thrombosis. Interpreting the available literature to determine the best treatment strategy for any individual patient can be especially challenging given the lack of prospective, randomized controlled trials and the heterogeneity of cohorts studied. This review will provide an overview of PVT in the cirrhosis population, including necessary steps in evaluation and the potential benefits and drawbacks of different treatment approaches.

Transfusion with Cryoprecipitate for Very Low Fibrinogen Levels Does Not Affect Bleeding or Survival in Critically Ill Cirrhosis Patients.

BACKGROUND: Fibrinogen (FIB) levels less than 150 mg/dL have been associated with increased rates of bleeding and lower survival in critically ill cirrhosis patients. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine if treatment with cryoprecipitate (CRYO) for low FIB levels is associated with bleeding outcomes or survival. METHODS: A total of 237 cirrhosis patients admitted to an intensive care unit at a tertiary care liver transplant center with initial FIB levels less than 150 mg/dL were retrospectively assessed for CRYO transfusion, bleeding events, and survival outcomes. RESULTS: The mean MELD score was 27.2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 26.0-28.3) and CLIF-C acute on chronic liver failure score was 53.4 (51.9-54.8). Ninety-nine (41.8%) were admitted for acute bleeding and the remainder were admitted for nonbleeding illnesses. FIB level on admission correlated strongly with disease severity. After adjusting for disease severity, FIB on admission was not an independent predictor of 30-day survival (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.99-1.01, p = 0.68). CRYO transfusion increased FIB levels but had no independent effect on mortality or bleeding complications (HR: 1.10, 95% CI: 0.72-1.70, p = 0.65). CONCLUSION: In cirrhosis patients with critical illness, low FIB levels on presentation reflect severity of illness but are not independently associated with 30-day mortality. Treatment of low FIB with CRYO also does not affect survival or bleeding complications, suggesting FIB is an additional marker of severity of illness but is not itself a direct factor in the pathophysiology of bleeding in critically ill cirrhosis patients.

Rates of Bleeding and Discontinuation of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Patients With Decompensated Cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Studies of the effects of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with cirrhosis have been limited by their small sample size, inclusion of patients with well-compensated cirrhosis, short follow-up times, inadequate validation of cirrhosis diagnoses, and non-standard definitions of bleeding. We aimed to systematically determine the characteristics, indications, and outcomes of patients with cirrhosis of all severity classes who received DOACs. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 138 patients with confirmed cirrhosis (93 with Child-Turcotte-Pugh scores of B or C) at a single center who started DOAC therapy (58,984 person-days; median, 181 days per patient) from September 2011 through April 2019. We collected data on clinical characteristics, indications for DOAC use, and outcomes. Standardized and validated definitions for bleeding complications were used. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients (21%) stopped therapy due to a diagnosis of or perceived bleeding. The most common bleeding events were non-variceal upper and lower intestinal bleeding. No pretreatment laboratory parameters were associated with bleeding while patients received treatment, including platelet count (P = .50), international normalized ratio (P = .34), creatinine (P = .27), and model for end-stage liver disease score (P = .22). Frequency of bleeding events related to DOAC did not differ significantly among patients of different Child-Turcotte-Pugh classes (P = .81), DOAC indications (P = .60), or DOAC dosages (P = .10). Higher proportions of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (P = .01) had major bleeding while receiving. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with decompensated cirrhosis have significant bleeding and rates of discontinuation of DOACs when they take them long term. Pretreatment laboratory parameters, DOAC dose, and Child-Turcotte-Pugh class were not associated with bleeding; hepatocellular carcinoma was associated with major bleeding.

The impact of ABO blood type on the prevalence of portal vein thrombosis in patients with advanced chronic liver disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Non-O blood type (BT) is a risk factor for thromboses, which has been attributed to its effects on von Willebrand factor (VWF)/factor VIII (FVIII) levels. Although high VWF/FVIII may be risk factors for portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in patients with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD), the impact of BT on PVT is unknown. We aimed to assess (I) whether non-O-BT is a risk factor for PVT and (II) whether non-O-BT impacts VWF/factor VIII in patients with ACLD. METHODS: Retrospective analysis comprising two cohorts: (I) "US" including all adult liver transplantations in the US in the MELD era and (II) "Vienna" comprising patients with a hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) ≥6 mmHg. RESULTS: (I) The "US cohort" included 84 947 patients (non-O: 55.43%). The prevalence of PVT at the time of listing (4.37% vs 4.56%; P = .1762) and at liver transplantation (9.56% vs 9.33%; P = .2546) was similar in patients with O- and non-O-BT. (II) 411 patients were included in the "Vienna cohort" (non-O: 64%). Mean HVPG was 18(9) mmHg and 90% had an HVPG ≥10 mmHg. Patients with non-O-BT had slightly increased VWF levels (318(164)% vs 309(176)%; P = .048; increase of 23.8%-23.9% in adjusted analyses), but this difference was driven by patients with less advanced disease. However, non-O-BT explained only 1% of the variation in VWF and had no effect on FVIII. CONCLUSIONS: Although non-O-BT impacts VWF in patients with early stage ACLD, its contribution to VWF variation is considerably smaller than in the general population. Moreover, non-O-BT had no impact on FVIII. These findings may explain the absence of an association between non-O-BT and PVT in patients with advanced cirrhosis.

Macrosteatotic Allografts and Obese Recipients Have Nearly Equal Negative Impact on Liver Transplant Survival.

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to evaluate liver transplant outcomes involving donors with high macrosteatosis grafts in the obese modern liver transplant recipient population. METHODS: A high-steatosis graft was defined as donor graft macrosteatosis ≥30% on biopsy. Recipient obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) >35 adjusted for ascites. Raw and adjusted recipient liver transplant survival were evaluated and compared between 4 cohorts: (1) high-steatosis graft in high-BMI recipient; (2) low-steatosis graft in high-BMI recipient; (3) high-steatosis graft in normal-BMI recipient; and (4) low-steatosis graft in normal-BMI recipient. RESULTS: After adjustment for multiple factors, recipient high-BMI remained an independent predictor of posttransplant mortality at 30 days (P < 0.0001) and persisted at 1 year (P = 0.009). A high-steatosis graft was the strongest independent predictor of mortality at 30 days (hazard ratio 2.05, 1.66-2.53; P < 0.0001) and that effect was diminished but persistent at 1 year (1.27, 1.10-1.46; P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Recipient high-BMI and a high-steatosis graft are both significant independent and equally powerful predictors of mortality after modern liver transplant. High-steatosis grafts transplanted into obese recipients have the highest mortality. The increase in mortality associated with a high-steatosis graft into a normal-BMI recipient is similar in magnitude to a low-steatosis graft placed into a high-BMI recipient.

Inherited thrombophilia and portal vein thrombosis in cirrhosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is common in cirrhosis. PVT is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Individual reports suggest that PVT occurs more frequently in patients with cirrhosis and inherited thrombophilia. The relationship between cirrhosis, PVT development, and inherited thrombophilia was explored in this study. The aim of the study was to determine whether cirrhotic patients with nontumoral PVT have an increased rate of inherited thrombophilia. METHODS: Studies were identified by searching electronic databases up to October 2017 with English language and human subject restrictions. Two independent reviewers screened citations and extracted data. Magnitude of effect was calculated to obtain aggregate estimates of effect size and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Between-study variability and heterogeneity were assessed. RESULTS: Of 2893 citations identified, 9 studies composed of 1929 subjects with cirrhosis were included. The overall prevalence of PVT was 6.5% (n = 125). Both prothrombin G20210A mutation (odds ratio [OR], 2.43; 95% CI, 1.07-5.53; P = 0.03) and factor V Leiden (FVL) (OR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.06-3.68; P = 0.03) were significantly associated with PVT risk. Methyltetrahydrofolate reductase C677T mutation was not associated with increased PVT risk. No heterogeneity or publication bias was observed. One important study with opposite findings could not be included due to lack of primary data. CONCLUSIONS: FVL and PTG20210A mutation were associated with increased PVT risk in patients with cirrhosis. This finding reframes the role of inherited thrombophilia in PVT development in patients with cirrhosis. Future prospective studies investigating screening for inherited thrombophilia in all cirrhosis patients with PVT seem warranted.

Development of a Model to Predict Portal Vein Thrombosis in Liver Transplant Candidates: The Portal Vein Thrombosis Risk Index.

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is associated with inferior pretransplantation and posttransplantation outcomes. We aimed to create a predictive model to risk stratify transplant candidates for PVT. Data on adult transplants in the United States during the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) era through September 2016 were reviewed. We constructed and validated a scoring system composed of routine, readily available clinical information to predict the development of incident PVT at 12 months from transplantation listing. A total of 66,568 liver transplant candidates were dichotomized into 2 groups to construct (n = 34,751) and validate (n = 31,817) a scoring system. In general, the derivation and validation cohorts were clinically similar. Although nonalcoholic steatohepatitis was a significant predictor of incident PVT (hazard ratio, 1.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.54; P < 0.001), age, MELD score, and moderate-to-severe ascites were also associated with increased risk. African American race was associated with decreased risk. A scoring system (PVT risk index [RI]) of these 5 variables had an area under the curve of 0.71 and 0.70 in both derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. By applying the low cutoff score of 2.6, incident PVT could be accurately excluded (negative predictive value 94%). Using the high cutoff score of 4.6 (positive predictive value 85%), PVT could be diagnosed with high accuracy. The PVT-RI predicts which candidates awaiting lifesaving liver transplantation will and will not develop future PVT. Although this scoring system will require prospective validation, it provides a powerful new tool for the clinician when risk stratifying cirrhosis patients prior to liver transplantation for future PVT development.

Acute kidney injury is associated with low factor XIII in decompensated cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The coagulation system is known to be rebalanced but fragile in stable cirrhosis. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in these patients and associated with an increased bleeding risk. We aimed to assess coagulation parameters in this population. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 43 hospitalized patients with decompensated cirrhosis with (n = 22) or without (n = 21) AKI. Coagulation factor levels, viscoelastic coagulation assay, and thrombin generation assay were performed and compared between these groups and a healthy reference group. RESULTS: Conventional markers of coagulation were not statistically different between patients with and without AKI. Factor XIII was significantly reduced in all patients with cirrhosis compared to healthy controls (p = <0.0001). In patients with AKI, factor XIII was significantly lower compared to patients without AKI (AKI 38% vs. non-AKI 60% p = 0.002). In patients with cirrhosis, factor XIII had a significantly positive correlation with EXTEM maximal clot firmness (r = 0.5440, p = 0.0002) and FIBTEM maximal clot firmness (r = 0.7397, p = <0.0001) and a negative correlation with EXTEM clot formation time (-0.413, p = 0.0065). CONCLUSIONS: Factor XIII was significantly reduced in decompensated cirrhosis patients with AKI compared to decompensated patients without AKI. These findings suggest that exacerbation of factor XIII deficiency in AKI in decompensated cirrhosis may affect bleeding risk and warrants further study.