[Strategies to Optimise R0 Resection for Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma]. / Strategien zur Optimierung der R0-Resektionsrate von zentralen Gallengangskarzinomen.

BACKGROUND: Retrospective analyses have shown a 20-40 % incidence of R1 resection in hilar cholangiocarcinoma, which therefore represents a significant issue to be addressed. METHODS: We have reviewed the literature on the impact of R1 resection in hilar cholangiocarcinomas and on possible surgical options to increase the rate of complete tumour resections. RESULTS: To minimise the rate of R1 resections a preoperative risk assessment concerning the predisposed anatomic locations is required. During planning of the surgical strategy, liver function plays a central role prior to right-sided hemihepatectomies. Due to the loss of a high amount of functional liver parenchyma, contralateral portal vein embolisation is often used prior to right trisectionectomies. For left-sided hepatectomies the management of the right hepatic artery is fundamental. The right hepatic artery has a very close contact to the tumour region, although arterial invasion is rarely seen. However, the risk of manifest or occult R1 resection is relatively high along the right artery. In selected cases an arterial resection might be considered, but this increases the risk of postoperative complications. Arterial resection might be performed either via direct anastomosis or by using an interposition graft. As reserve procedures preoperative embolisation of the hepatic artery without reconstruction or an arterialisation of the portal vein are available. However, the latter two procedures come along with an increased rate of biliary complications. In selected lymph-node negative patients with irresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma liver transplantation might be considered. CONCLUSION: Despite significant advances in surgical technique, R1 resection remains a problem, which is aggravated by the lack of evidence-based adjuvant measures.

Improved survival in liver transplant recipients receiving prolonged-release tacrolimus in the European Liver Transplant Registry.

This study was a retrospective analysis of the European Liver Transplant Registry (ELTR) performed to compare long-term outcomes with prolonged-release tacrolimus versus tacrolimus BD in liver transplantation (January 2008-December 2012). Clinical efficacy measures included univariate and multivariate analyses of risk factors influencing graft and patient survival at 3 years posttransplant. Efficacy measures were repeated using propensity score-matching for baseline demographics. Patients with <1 month of follow-up were excluded from the analyses. In total, 4367 patients (prolonged-release tacrolimus: n = 528; BD: n = 3839) from 21 European centers were included. Tacrolimus BD treatment was significantly associated with inferior graft (risk ratio: 1.81; p = 0.001) and patient survival (risk ratio: 1.72; p = 0.004) in multivariate analyses. Similar analyses performed on the propensity score-matched patients confirmed the significant survival advantages observed in the prolonged-release tacrolimus- versus tacrolimus BD-treated group. This large retrospective analysis from the ELTR identified significant improvements in long-term graft and patient survival in patients treated with prolonged-release tacrolimus versus tacrolimus BD in primary liver transplant recipients over 3 years of treatment. However, as with any retrospective registry evaluation, there are a number of limitations that should be considered when interpreting these data.

[Therapy of chronic persisting biloma after liver resection by enteral drainage]. / Therapie chronisch persistierender Biliome nach Leberresektion durch enterale Drainage.

Postoperative bile leaks represent a typical complication in liver surgery with a frequency ranging from 5 % to 12 % in large series. The treatment of choice is usually conservative. Using sufficient transcutaneous drainage with flushing of the biloma cavity and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) with sphincterotomy and possibly stenting, the cure rate of bile leaks is approximately 95 %. In very rare cases all of these measures remain unsuccessful especially in cases of leakage from separated liver segments without connection to the main bile duct system. In relevantly separated liver segments this can lead to a chronically secreting bile fistula.We report a series of seven patients after complex liver resections, in which a chronic bile cavity was definitively treated with a jejunum loop as internal drainage. The prior conservative therapy included cavity suction drainage and optionally an additional ERC with or without stent insertion. After several weeks of bile leak persistence and radiological confirmation of suturable bile wall the operative treatment was carried out. The biloma cavity was careful dissected, opened and anastomosed with a jejunal loop. The further postoperative course was uncomplicated in all patients.It is possible to treat chronic persistent bile leaks safely and effectively by internal drainage through the jejunal loop after formation of a suturable biloma cavity membrane.

Everolimus and early calcineurin inhibitor withdrawal: 3-year results from a randomized trial in liver transplantation.

The feasibility of de novo everolimus without calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) therapy following liver transplantation was assessed in a multicenter, prospective, open-label trial. Liver transplant patients were randomized at 4 weeks to start everolimus and discontinue CNI, or continue their current CNI-based regimen. The primary endpoint was adjusted estimated GFR (eGFR; Cockcroft-Gault) at month 11 post randomization. A 24-month extension phase followed 81/114 (71.1%) of eligible patients to month 35 post randomization. The adjusted mean eGFR benefit from randomization to month 35 was 10.1 mL/min (95% confidence interval [CI] -1.3, 21.5 mL/min, p = 0.082) in favor of CNI-free versus CNI using Cockcroft-Gault, 9.4 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (95% CI -0.4, 18.9, p = 0.053) with Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (four-variable) and 9.5 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (95% CI -1.1, 17.9, p = 0.028) using Nankivell. The difference in favor of the CNI-free regimen increased gradually over time due to a small progressive decline in eGFR in the CNI cohort despite a reduction in CNI exposure. Biopsy-proven acute rejection, graft loss and death were similar between groups. Adverse events led to study drug discontinuation in five CNI-free patients and five CNI patients (12.2% vs. 12.5%, p = 1.000) during the extension phase. Everolimus-based CNI-free immunosuppression is feasible following liver transplantation and patients benefit from sustained preservation of renal function versus patients on CNI for at least 3 years.

Significant impact of patient age on outcome after liver resection for HCC in cirrhosis.

OBJECTIVE: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide. The majority of patients with HCC have cirrhosis. Beside liver transplantation the resection is an established curative treatment option for patients with HCC in cirrhosis. However, the long term success is limited by a high tumor recurrence rate. Furthermore, by many patients surgical resection is restricted by poor liver function. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of patient age on long term outcome after liver resection in patients with HCC in cirrhotic liver. Further purpose was to define the potential prognostic factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The outcome of 141 patients with liver cirrhosis after curative resection was analyzed using a prospective database. Only patients with postoperative histological assurance of HCC were included in the database. Patients with fibrolamellar HCC were excluded. RESULTS: By patients below 70 years of age the 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 78.5%, 56.5% and 47.1%. By patients over 70 years the 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates were 59.9%, 40.3% and 6.7%. Cumulative survival of the total collective was significant influenced by patient age, Clavien grade, positive lymph vessels, mechanical ventilation and BMI. The overall postoperative morbidity was 44.7%. No intraoperative deaths were observed, but 11 patients (8 older than 70 and 3 younger than 70 years) died during the hospital stay. Clavien grade correlated with preoperative increased GGT, need for intraoperative blood and fresh frozen plasma transfusion. CONCLUSIONS: Patient age and postoperative complications are more relevant for the outcome than many tumor factors, especially by patients over 70 years of age. In contrast, the prognosis of patients below 70 years of age is significantly better and a 5 year survival rate above 50% could be shown in our patients. However, by carefully selected elderly patients with HCC in cirrhosis an acceptable long term survival is reachable.

Technical feasibility of liver transplantation without cold storage.

PURPOSE: The success of liver transplantation (LT) is accompanied by an increased need for organs. The wider use of older donors and marginal organs with risk factors such as steatosis has lead to a new interest to improve the outcome with marginal organs. We herewith report a novel technique for LT with in situ preparation and immediate warm-ischemia liver transplantation (WI-LT). The aim of our study was to demonstrate the technical feasibility and report the transplant course. METHODS: Six patients underwent WI-LT at our institution. Hepatectomies during procurement and LT were both performed in parallel by different surgical teams. Technical factors and postoperative allograft function were analyzed. RESULTS: All six WI-LTs were performed without intraoperative complications with a mean warm-ischemia time (WIT) of 29.0 min. No patient developed primary non-function or required retransplantation. Mean alanine aminotransferase (194.0 ± 170.4 U/l) and aspartate aminotransferase (316.3 ± 222.1 U/l) values on the first postoperative day were low, indicating a low ischemia/reperfusion injury and an excellent liver function. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that WI-LT is a safe and technically feasible approach for LT with possibly reduced IRI and an excellent postoperative allograft quality. WI-LT may therefore be considered in individual patients especially with extended criteria donors to eventually improve postoperative allograft quality.

Radiologic resectability assessment in pancreatic cancer.

Complete tumor resection is still the only potentially curative therapy option for patients with ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Surgical exploration is the gold standard for the determination of tumor resectability. Radiological resectability assessment is of great importance because many clearly unresectable cases can be identified preoperatively and it became essential for surgical planning. The evolving surgical and radiological techniques demand a continuous reappraisal of radiological criteria in resectability assessment. In the following, the criteria for resection planning are described along with surgical management and the role of radiology in some innovative surgical concepts is explained.

[Impact of time of occurrence of liver metastases (synchronous vs. metachronous) on early postoperative outcome and long-term survival of colorectal cancer patients]. / Einfluss des Metastasierungszeitpunkts (synchron vs. metachron) im Hinblick auf das frühpostoperative Outcome sowie das Langzeitüberleben von Patienten nach Resektion kolorektaler Lebermetastasen.

BACKGROUND: Today, liver resection represents the only curative treatment option for patients with resectable colorectal liver metastases. Large studies could show that liver surgery can be performed safely in specialised centres, but most of those studies did not differentiate between resection of synchronous and metachronous metastases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the time of the occurrence of colorectal liver metastases on the early postoperative course as well as the long-term survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two groups of 30 patients each who underwent liver surgery due to synchronous or metachronous colorectal liver metastases at our centre between 2000 and 2010 were included in a matched-pairs analysis. Early postoperative course as well as long-term survival were assessed and compared between both groups. Matching criteria included: age, sex, number of metastases and size of largest metastasis. RESULTS: Postoperative morbidity for the entire study cohort was 23.3 % with a mortality of 0 %. No significant difference could be shown between synchronous and metachronous metastases with regard to incidence and severity of postoperative complications (20 vs. 26.7 %, p = 0.54). The median survival of the synchronous group was 38.9 months (95 % CI 26.4-51.6) compared to 47.9 months (95 % CI 21.4-74.4 %) in the metachronous group, but no significant difference could be detected in the univariate analysis (p = 0.425). CONCLUSION: According to the present results, liver surgery can be performed safely in a specialised centre. The time of occurrence of the metastases (synchronous vs. metachronous) does not seem to have any impact on the early postoperative course as well as on the long-term survival in patients undergoing curative resection of colorectal liver metastases. However, larger studies appear necessary to confirm the results of the present study.

[Diagnosis of and therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma]. / Diagnostik und Therapie des hepatozellulären Karzinoms.

The interdisciplinary guidelines at the S3 level on the diagnosis of and therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) constitute an evidence- and consensus-based instrument that is aimed at improving the diagnosis of and therapy for HCC since these are very challenging tasks. The purpose of the guidelines is to offer the patient (with suspected or confirmed HCC) adequate, scientifically based and up-to-date procedures in diagnosis, therapy and rehabilitation. This holds not only for locally limited or focally advanced disease but also for the existence of recurrences or distant metastases. Besides making a contribution to an appropriate health-care service, the guidelines should also provide the foundation for an individually adapted, high-quality therapy. The explanatory background texts should also enable non-specialist but responsible colleagues to give sound advice to their patients concerning specialist procedures, side effects and results. In the medium and long-term this should reduce the morbidity and mortality of patients with HCC and improve their quality of life.

[Surgery and organ transplantation]. / Chirurgie und Organtransplantation.

Liver and kidney transplantations have been performed for almost 50 years and is nowadays a routine procedure for the treatment of terminal liver failure and terminal-stage renal failure. Under given optimal conditions and increasing experience good results can be achieved. Improvements in surgical techniques have led to a decrease in the incidence of surgical complications after transplantation. Nevertheless after liver and kidney transplantation complications can occur and increase the morbidity and mortality. There are a number of possible complications which range from harmless wound healing disorders to severe vascular, biliary or urinary complications that can be associated with graft dysfunction and lead to graft loss. In order to identify risk factors preoperatively and achieve good outcome after transplantation a good preparation of the recipients is necessary. Furthermore, a good interdisciplinary cooperation is necessary both to recognize complications early and to treat these adequately.

Elevated hepatic chemerin mRNA expression in human non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

OBJECTIVE: Adipose tissue-derived factors link non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with obesity, which has also been reported for circulating chemerin. On the other hand, hepatic chemerin and chemokine-like receptor 1 (CMKLR1) mRNA expression has not yet been studied in an extensively characterized patient collective. DESIGN: This study was cross-sectional and experimental in design. METHODS: Liver tissue samples were harvested from 47 subjects and histologically examined according to the NAFLD activity score (NAS). The concentrations of chemerin and CMKLR1 were measured using semi-quantitative real-time PCR, and the concentration of serum chemerin was measured using ELISA. To evaluate potential effects of chemerin and CMKLR1, cultured primary human hepatocytes (PHHs) were exposed to selected metabolites known to play a role in NAFLD (insulin, glucagon, palmitoic acid, and interleukin-6 (IL6)). RESULTS: Chemerin and CMKLR1 mRNA levels were elevated in the human liver. Their expression was correlated with the NAS (R(2)=0.543; P<0.001 and R(2)=0.355; P=0.014 respectively) and was significantly elevated in patients with definite non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) (P<0.05 respectively). Linear regression analysis confirmed an independent association of liver fibrosis, steatosis, inflammation, and hepatocyte ballooning with hepatic chemerin mRNA expression (P<0.05 respectively). The expression of hepatic chemerin and CMKLR1 was correlated with the measures of obesity (P<0.05). The incubation of PHHs with IL6 significantly increased the expression of CMKLR1 mRNA (P=0.027), while that of chemerin remained unaffected (P>0.05). None of the other metabolites showed an influence (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: This is the first study to show that chemerin mRNA expression is significantly elevated in the liver of NASH patients and that CMKLR1 expression is upregulated in liver inflammation, whereby IL6 could play a causal role.

Twenty-year longitudinal follow-up after orthotopic liver transplantation: a single-center experience of 313 consecutive cases.

With excellent short-term survival in liver transplantation (LT), we now focus on long-term outcome and report the first European single-center 20-year survival data. Three hundred thirty-seven LT were performed in 313 patients (09/88-12/92). Impact on long-term outcome was studied and a comparison to life expectancy of matched normal population was performed. A detailed analysis of 20-years follow-up concerning overweight (HBMI), hypertension (HTN), diabetes (HGL), hyperlipidemia (HLIP) and moderately or severely impaired renal function (MIRF, SIRF) is presented. Patient and graft survival at 1, 10, 20 years were 88.4%, 72.7%, 52.5% and 83.7%, 64.7% and 46.6%, respectively. Excluding 1-year mortality, survival in the elderly LT recipients was similar to normal population. Primary indication (p < 0.001), age (p < 0.001), gender (p = 0.017), impaired renal function at 6 months (p < 0.001) and retransplantation (p = 0.034) had significant impact on patient survival. Recurrent disease (21.3%), infection (20.6%) and de novo malignancy (19.9%) were the most common causes of death. Prevalence of HTN (57.3-85.2%, p < 0.001), MIRF (41.8-55.2%, p = 0.01) and HBMI (33.2-45%, p = 0.014) increased throughout follow-up, while prevalence of HLIP (78.0-47.6%, p < 0.001) declined. LT has conquered many barriers to achieve these outstanding long-term results. However, much work is needed to combat recurrent disease and side effects of immunosuppression (IS).

Intraoperative placement of external biliary drains for prevention and treatment of bile leaks after extended liver resection without bilioenteric anastomosis.

BACKGROUND: Improved surgical techniques, substantial preoperative diagnostics, and advanced perioperative management permit extensive and complex liver resection. Thus, hepatic malignancies that would have been considered inoperable some years ago may be curatively resected today. Despite all this progress, biliary leakage remains a clinically relevant issue, especially after extended liver resection. Intraoperative decompression of bile ducts by means of distinct biliary drains is controversial. Although drainage is rarely used as a routine procedure, it might be useful in selected patients at high risk for biliary leakage. METHODS: We describe surgical management of long-segment exposed or injured bile ducts after extended parenchymal resection with concomitant lymphadenectomy. Because blood supply to the bile duct may be impaired, the risk of biliary necrosis and/or leakage is significant. Internal splinting of the bile duct to ensure optimum decompression plus guidance might be helpful. Thus, in selected cases after trisectionectomy we inserted an external-internal or internal-external drain into long-segment exposed bile ducts. For internal-external drains the tube was diverted via the major duodenal papilla into the duodenum and then transfixed after the duodenojejunal flexure through the jejunal wall by means of a Witzel's channel. RESULTS: Because the entire bile duct is splinted, this technique is superior to bile duct decompression with a T-tube. This is supported by the course of a patient suffering biliary leakage after extended right-sided hepatectomy for colorectal metastasis. Initially, a T-tube was inserted for decompression, but biliary leakage persisted. After inserting transhepatic external-internal drainage, bile leakage stopped immediately. The patient's course was then uneventful. Five other patients (mostly with locally advanced hepatocellular or cholangiocellular carcinoma) treated similarly were discharged without complications. Drain removal 6 weeks postoperatively was uncomplicated in five of the 6 patients. In the sixth patient, external-internal drainage was replaced by a Yamakawa-type prosthesis for a biliary stricture. None of the patients suffered severe complications during long-term follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The bile duct drainage technique presented in this study was useful for preventing and treating bile leakage after long-segment exposure of extrahepatic bile ducts during major hepatectomy. Transhepatic or internal-external drains are often used for bilioenteric anastomoses, but similar drainage techniques have not been reported for the native bile duct. T-tubes are generally used in this situation. In particular cases, however, inner splinting of the bile duct and appropriate movement of the bile via a tube can be helpful.

Blood group determinates incidence for pancreatic cancer in Germany.

BACKGROUND: Genetic risk factors for sporadic pancreatic cancer are largely unknown but actually under high exposure. Findings of correlations between the AB0 blood group system (Chromosome 9q34,1-q34,2) and the risk of pancreatic cancer (PC) in patients from Asia, America and south Europe have already been published. So far it is unclear, whether this correlation between blood group an PC incidence can be found in German patients as well. METHODS: One hundred and sixty-six patients who underwent a resection of PC were evaluated in a period between 2000 and 2010. Blood group reference distribution for the German population is given as: 0: 41%; A: 43%; B: 11%; AB: 5%; Rhesus positive: 85%; Rhesus negative: 15%. Analyses were done using the non-parametric Chi(2)-test (p-value two sided; SPSS 19.0). RESULTS: Median age was 62 (34-82) years. Gender: female 73/44%; male: 93/56%. Observed blood group proportions: 0: 43 (25.9%)/A: 94 (56.6%)/B: 16 (9.6%)/AB: 13 (7.8%)/Rhesus positive: 131 (78.9%)/negative: 35 (21.1%). We detected a significant difference to the German reference distribution of the AB0 system (Chi(2) 19.34, df 3, p < 0.001). Rhesus factor has no impact on AB0-distribution (Chi(2) 4.13, df 3, p = 0.25), but differs significantly from reference distribution-probably due to initial AB0-variation (Chi(2) 4.82, df 1, p = 0.028). The odds ratio for blood group A is 2.01 and for blood group 0 is 0.5. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of PC in the German cohort is highly associated with the AB0-system as well. More patients with blood group A suffer from PC (p < 0.001) whereas blood group 0 was less frequent in patients with PC (p < 0.001). Thus, our findings support the results from other non-German surveys. The causal trigger points of this carcinogenesis correlation are still not known.

[Deceased donor liver transplantation]. / Lebertransplantation mit postmortalen Organen.

Deceased donor liver transplantation is nowadays a routine procedure for the treatment of terminal liver failure and often represents the only chance of a cure. Under given optimal conditions excellent long-term results can be obtained with 15-year survival rates of well above 60 %.In Germany the outcome after liver transplantation has deteriorated since the introduction of an allocation policy, which is based on the medical urgency. At present 25 % of liver graft recipients die within the first year after transplantation. In contrast 1-year survival in most other countries, e.g. in the USA or the United Kingdom is around 90 % and therefore significantly better. Reasons for the inferior results in Germany are on the one hand an increasing number of critically ill recipients and on the other hand an unfavorable situation for organ donation. In comparison with other countries the organ donation rate is low and moreover the risk profile of these donors is above average. This combination of organ shortage and organ allocation represents a big challenge for the future orientation of liver transplantation and creates the potential for conflict. These cannot be solved on a medical basis but require a social consensus.Because of the present inferior results and because of the high expenses of the present system we suggest a discussion on future allocation policies as well as on future centre structures in Germany. In addition to the medical urgency the maximum benefit should also be considered for organ allocation.

Biliary complications after liver transplantation: old problems and new challenges.

Due to a vulnerable blood supply of the bile ducts, biliary complications are a major source of morbidity after liver transplantation (LT). Manifestation is either seen at the anastomotic region or at multiple locations of the donor biliary system, termed as nonanastomotic biliary strictures. Major risk factors include old donor age, marginal grafts and prolonged ischemia time. Moreover, partial LT or living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and donation after cardiac death (DCD) bear a markedly higher risk of biliary complications. Especially accumulation of several risk factors is critical and should be avoided. Prophylaxis is still a major issue; however no gold standard is established so far, since many risk factors cannot be influenced directly. The diagnostic workup is mostly started with noninvasive imaging studies namely MRI and MRCP, but direct cholangiography still remains the gold standard. Especially nonanastomotic strictures require a multidisciplinary treatment approach. The primary management of anastomotic strictures is mainly interventional. However, surgical revision is finally indicated in a significant number of cases. Using adequate treatment algorithms, a very high success rate can be achieved in anastomotic complications, but in nonanastomotic strictures a relevant number of graft failures are still inevitable.

The impact of simultaneous liver resection for occult liver metastases of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Backround. Pancreas resection is the only curative treatment for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. In the event of unexpected incidental liver metastases during operative exploration patients were traditionally referred to palliative treatment arms. With continuous progress in the surgical expertise simultaneous pancreas and liver resections seem technically feasible nowadays. The aim of this study therefore was to analyze the impact of synchronous liver-directed therapy on operative outcome and overall survival in patients with hepatic metastasized pancreatic adenocarcinoma (HMPA). Methods. 22 patients who underwent simultaneous pancreas resection and liver-directed therapy for HMPA between January 1, 2004 and January 1, 2009 were compared to 22 patients who underwent classic pancreas resection for nonmetastasized pancreatic adenocarcinoma (NMPA) in a matched pair study design. Postoperative morbidity, preoperative, and operative data and overall survival were analyzed. Results. Overall survival was significantly decreased in the HMPA group. Postoperative morbidity and mortality and median operation time did not significantly differ between the groups. Conclusion. The results of our study showed that simultaneous pancreas resection and liver-directed therapy may safely be performed and may therefore be applied in individual patients with HMPA. However, a potential benefit of this radical surgical approach with regard to overall survival and/or quality of life remains to be proven.

Effect of pre- and probiotics on liver regeneration after resection: a randomised, double-blind pilot study.

Liver regeneration is a prerequisite for extended liver surgery. Several studies have shown that the bacterial gut flora is able to modulate liver function. Previously we observed that synbiotics could partly reverse the impaired mitosis rate of hepatocytes in a rat model of synchronous liver resection and colon anastomosis. The effect of synbiotics on liver function after hepatic resection has not been analysed yet. A prospective randomised double-blind pilot trial was undertaken in 19 patients scheduled for right hepatectomy. All patients received enteral nutrition immediately post-operatively. Comparison was made between a group receiving a combination of four probiotics and four fibres and a placebo group receiving the fibres only starting the day before surgery and continuing for 10 days. Primary study endpoint was the liver function capacity measured by 13C-methacetin breath test and indocyanine green plasma disappearance rate. Portal vein flow, liver volumetry, laboratory parameters for liver function, length of hospital stay, post-operative complications and side effects of synbiotic therapy were recorded. Liver function capacity was comparable in both groups. Complications had a negative impact on liver function. Because complications were more severe in the verum group, a sub-analysis was performed. In case of an uncomplicated course, liver function capacity was better in the patients with synbiotics. No severe side effects occurred. Synbiotics might be able to increase liver function capacity in patients after liver resection, but patient numbers were too small and the clinical courses too heterogeneous to draw any definite conclusions.

Viscoelasticity-based magnetic resonance elastography for the assessment of liver fibrosis in hepatitis C patients after liver transplantation.

PURPOSE: Despite advantages in antiviral therapy of hepatitis C (HCV) in recent years, progressing liver fibrosis remains a major problem for patients suffering from hepatitis C after liver transplantation. Therefore, effective non-invasive methods for the assessment of liver fibrosis are needed in order to guide treatment decisions and predict prognosis in these patients. The aim of this study was to prospectively assess the diagnostic accuracy of viscoelasticity-based magnetic resonance (MR) elastography for the assessment of liver fibrosis in HCV patients after liver transplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After IRB approval, a total of 25 patients, who had received a liver graft due to chronic hepatitis C underwent both liver biopsy and MR elastography. Two viscoelastic constants, the shear elasticity µ and the powerlaw exponent α were calculated by fitting the frequency function of the complex shear modulus with the viscoelastic springpot-model. RESULTS: A strong positive correlation between shear elasticity µ and the stage of fibrosis could be found (R = 0.486, p = 0.0136). The area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) of MR elastography based on µ for diagnosis of severe fibrosis (F ≥ 3) was 0.87 and 0.65 for diagnosis of significant fibrosis (F ≥ 2). The powerlaw exponent α did not correlate with the stage of fibrosis. CONCLUSION: MR elastography represents a promising non-invasive procedure for the assessment of higher grades of fibrosis in HCV patients after liver transplantation. The poor correlation for lower grades of fibrosis suggests unknown mechanical interactions in the transplanted liver.