Secondary sclerosing cholangitis induced by systemic chemotherapy.

There are multiple causes of secondary sclerosing cholangitis (SSC), including mechanical obstruction, ischemia, congenital abnormalities, cholangiopathy of the critically ill patient and rarely, chemotherapy (1,2). We present the case of a 52-year-old female with a history of left breast invasive ductal carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (adriamycin, cyclophosphamide and paclitaxel), surgery and radiotherapy in March 2021. She was admitted in July 2022 due to painless jaundice and pruritus with marked serum cholestasis. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography showed multiple strictures and dilatations involving the intra and extrahepatic bile ducts (Figure 1.A), without any extrinsic stenotic cause. Findings were confirmed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with cholangioscopy (Figure 1.B). Biopsies were negative for malignancy and IgG4 disease. In addition, autoantibodies were negative and serum IgG4 levels were normal. Due to these findings and the history of recent chemotherapy, the patient was diagnosed with paclitaxel-induced sclerosing cholangitis, initiating treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid. Over the following two months, she suffered two episodes of Klebsiella Pneumoniae bacteraemia due to acute cholangitis. Dilatation and placement of plastic stents in both biliary trees were performed and prophylactic antibiotherapy was started. The patient had a poor evolution and was not candidate for liver transplantation on account of a recent neoplasia. She died six months later due to sepsis secondary to multiple hepatic abscesses.

Ectopic variceal bleeding secondary to porto-sinusoidal vascular disease.

Porto-sinusoidal vascular disease (PSVD) is an uncommon cause of portal hypertension (PHT) characterized by typical manifestations of PHT in the absence of an identifiable cause such as cirrhosis or splenoportal thrombosis (1). There are different etiological factors, including oxaliplatin (2). We present the case of a 67-year-old male with a history of locally advanced rectal cancer in 2007 treated with chemotherapy (capecitabine, folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin), radiotherapy and surgery with a definitive colostomy. He was admitted for lower gastrointestinal bleeding from the colostomy with no anemia or hemodynamic repercussion. Colonoscopy was performed and no lesions were found. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) showed peristomal varices with porto-systemic collaterals at that level. There was splenomegaly, no evidence of chronic liver disease and the splenoportal axis was permeable. Laboratory tests showed chronic thrombocytopenia. Laboratory results excluded other causes of liver disease, hepatic elastography showed a value of 7.2 kPa and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy ruled out esophagogastric varices. The catheterisation of hepatic veins demonstrated a hepatic venous pressure gradient of 13.5 mmHg and liver biopsy revealed sinusoidal dilatation with sinusoidal and perivenular fibrosis. Because of the clinical context of the patient with a history of treatment with oxaliplatin, he was diagnosed with peristomal ectopic varices secondary to porto-sinusoidal vascular disease. Due to bleeding recurrence, it was finally decided to place a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS).

Protective measures against Omicron could be more effective than Evusheld® in liver transplant recipients.

Evusheld (the combination of cilgavimab and tixagevimab, two long-lasting monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2) has been approved by the FDA as a pre-exposure treatment for COVID-19 in immunocompromised patients older than 12 years. However, this monoclonal antibody has been developed from SARS-CoV-2 variants that were predominant at the beginning of the pandemic, when Ómicron was not prevalent. Compared with other solid organ transplant recipients, liver transplant recipients have shown an excellent immune response to standard vaccination with three doses of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. In addition, this population has shown very good adherence to protective measures for the transmission of COVID-19 infection. Several studies have shown that the use of Evusheld is less effective against Ómicron than against other variants of SARS-CoV-2. In addition, in the post-hoc analysis, it appears to be a drug that increases cardiovascular risk. For these reasons, we believe that in liver transplant recipients is essential to prioritize vaccination and protective measures, rather than the use of Evusheld as pre-exposure prophylaxis.

CD64 expression on neutrophils as a potential biomarker for bacterial infection in ascitic fluid of cirrhotic patients.

BACKGROUND: CD64 expression on neutrophils surface (CD64N) by flow cytometry has been validated as a rapid biomarker for bacterial infections in both peripheral blood and other biological fluids. Ascites is a common complication in cirrhotic patients that a variety of factors can cause, including bacterial infections. Manual counting of polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells in ascitic fluid and microbiologic culture are essential for its diagnosis. We aimed to validate the determination of CD64N by flow cytometry in ascitic fluid and assess its potential usefulness in the rapid identification of bacterial infections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective unicentre study was conducted. Flow cytometry was used to analyse the expression of CD64N in 77 ascitic fluid samples from the initial paracentesis of 60 cirrhotic patients in different admission episodes from November 2021 to December 2022. RESULTS: Seventeen samples were diagnosed with bacterial infection based on a positive microbiologic culture or by PMN count (>250 PMN/mm3 in ascitic fluid). The median of CD64N MFI was significantly increased in the bacterial infection group (3690.5 MFI [1635.23-6521.18] vs. 1105.9 MFI [737.3-2048.2], p < 0.001). The CD64 MFI ratio of granulocytes to lymphocytes was elevated in the bacterial infection group (13.06 [6.38-24.58] vs. 5.01 [3.38-7.36], p < 0.001). A CD64N ratio higher than 9.9 identified those patients with bacterial infection with 70.6 and 86.7% sensitivity and specificity, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 79.4%. CONCLUSION: The CD64N determined by flow cytometry on ascitic fluid could help quickly identify bacterial infections in ascites patients, allowing early antibiotic treatment.

Secondary sclerosing cholangitis induced by systemic chemotherapy

There are multiple causes of secondary sclerosing cholangitis (SSC), including mechanical obstruction, ischemia, congenital abnormalities, cholangiopathy of the critically ill patient and rarely, chemotherapy (1,2). We present the case of a 52-year-old female with a history of left breast invasive ductal carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (adriamycin, cyclophosphamide and paclitaxel), surgery and radiotherapy in March 2021. She was admitted in July 2022 due to painless jaundice and pruritus with marked serum cholestasis. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography showed multiple strictures and dilatations involving the intra and extrahepatic bile ducts (Figure 1.A), without any extrinsic stenotic cause. Findings were confirmed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with cholangioscopy (Figure 1.B). Biopsies were negative for malignancy and IgG4 disease. In addition, autoantibodies were negative and serum IgG4 levels were normal. Due to these findings and the history of recent chemotherapy, the patient was diagnosed with paclitaxel-induced sclerosing cholangitis, initiating treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid. Over the following two months, she suffered two episodes of Klebsiella Pneumoniae bacteraemia due to acute cholangitis. Dilatation and placement of plastic stents in both biliary trees were performed and prophylactic antibiotherapy was started. The patient had a poor evolution and was not candidate for liver transplantation on account of a recent neoplasia. She died six months later due to sepsis secondary to multiple hepatic abscesses. (AU)

Las medidas de protección frente a Ómicron podrían ser más eficaces que el uso de Evusheld en receptores de trasplante hepático / Protective measures against Omicron could be more effective than Evusheld in liver transplant recipients

Evusheld (la combinación de cilgavimab y tixagevimab, dos anticuerpos monoclonales de larga duración frente al SARS-CoV-2) ha sido aprobado por la FDA como tratamiento pre-exposición a la COVID-19 en pacientes inmunocomprometidos mayores de 12 años. Sin embargo, este anticuerpo monoclonal ha sido desarrollado a partir de variantes del SARS-CoV-2 que predominaban al inicio de la pandemia, cuando Ómicron no estaba presente. Comparados con otros trasplantados de órgano sólido, los trasplantados hepáticos han mostrado una excelente respuesta inmune a la pauta de vacunación estándar con tres dosis de la vacuna contra el SARS-CoV-2. Además, esta población ha mostrado muy buena adherencia a las medidas preventivas de transmisión de la infección. Varios estudios han mostrado que el uso de Evusheld es menor efectivo contra Ómicron que contra otras variantes del SARS-CoV-2. Además, en el análisis post-hoc, parece un fármaco que incrementa el riesgo cardiovascular. Por estos motivos creemos que en trasplantados hepáticos es fundamental priorizar la vacunación y las medidas de protección, más que el empleo de Evusheld como profilaxis pre-exposición. (AU)