Search

Despite recent advances in medical therapy, patients with fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) have a mortality rate approaching 90%. Many patients die because of failure to arrest the progression of cerebral edema. Liver transplantation has improved survival to 65% to 75%. However, there is a shortage of donors and approximately one half of the patients with FHF will die while awaiting liver transplantation. There is thus a need to develop an extracorporeal liver assist system to help keep these patients alive and neurologically intact until either an organ becomes available for transplantation or the native liver recovers from injury. Such a system could also be used during the period of functional recovery from massive liver resection or to assist patients with decompensated chronic liver disease. Over the years, various methods utilizing charcoal and resin hemoperfusion, dialysis, plasma exchange, and other methods of blood detoxification have been developed and tested, but none have gained wide acceptance. This was due to: (i) incomplete understanding of the pathophysiology of liver failure; (ii) lack of accurate methods of assessment, quantitation, and stratification of the degree of liver dysfunction; and (iii) inadequate numbers of prospective controlled clinical trials examining the effects of specific therapeutic modalities. Liver support systems utilizing liver tissue preparations were developed in the 1950s, but it was not until recently that advances in hepatocyte isolation and culture, better understanding of hepatocyte-matrix interactions, and improved hollow-fiber technology have resulted in the development of a new generation of liver assist devices. Some of these devices are currently being tested in the clinical setting. In a preliminary clinical study, we have used a porcine hepatocyte-based liver support system to treat patients with acute liver failure as well as patients with acute exacerbation of chronic liver disease. Patients in the first group, who were candidates for transplantation, were successfully bridged to a transplant with excellent survival. No obvious benefit from bioartifical liver treatments was seen in the second group. It is possible that, in this group, patients will have to be treated earlier and for longer periods of time. Prospective controlled trials will be initiated as soon as the current phase I study is concluded to determine the efficacy of this system in both patients populations. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

UNLABELLED The only clinically proven effective treatment of fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is orthotopic liver transplant (OLT). However, many patients die before an organ becomes available. Thus, there is a need for development of an extracorporeal liver support system to "bridge" these patients either to OLT or spontaneous recovery. We developed a bioartificial liver (BAL) based on plasma perfusion through a circuit of a hollow-fiber cartridge seeded with matrix-anchored porcine hepatocytes to treat patients with severe acute liver failure. Two groups of patients were studied. Group 1 (n = 12): patients with FHF. All patients were successfully "bridged" to OLT. "Bridge" time to OLT was 21-96 hr (mean: 39.3 hr). All patients were discharged neurologically intact. Reversal of decerebration was noted in all 11 deep stage 4 coma patients. There was reduction in intracranial pressure (ICP mmHg, 18.2 +/- 2.2 to 8.5 +/- 1.2; p < 0.004) and increase in cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP mmHg, 71.1 +/- 4.0 to 84.7 +/- 2.6; p < 0.006). Laboratory values pre- and post-BAL treatment: glucose (mg/dl) 122 +/- 11 to 183 +/- 21, p < 0.002; ammonia (mumol/l) 155.6 +/- 13.2 to 121.6 +/- 9.5, p < 0.02; total bilirubin (mg/dl) 21.6 +/- 2.8 to 18.2 +/- 2.2, p < 0.001; PT (sec) 23.2 +/- 1.7 to 21.9 +/- 1.0, p < 0.3. Group II (n = 8): patients with chronic liver failure experiencing acute exacerbation. Two patients survived and later underwent OLT. Six patients (not OLT candidates) died 1-14 days after last BAL treatment. Laboratory values pre- and post-treatment: ammonia (mumol/l) 201 +/- 47 to 143 +/- 25, p < 0.06; total bilirubin (mg/dl) 22.8 +/- 5.2 to 19.5 +/- 4.4, p < 0.01; PT (sec) 22.5 +/- 2.0 to 21.8 +/- 1.1, p < 0.6. CONCLUSION our clinical experience with the BAL suggests that it may serve as "bridge" to OLT in patients with FHF primarily by reversing intracranial hypertension, but it is not a substitute for OLT in patients with end-stage liver disease who are non-transplant candidates.

Orthotopic liver transplantation has been used to treat glycogen storage disease type IV. Most long-term surviving patients who have undergone liver transplantation have been free of neuromuscular and cardiac morbidity, and regression of cardiac amylopectin infiltration has been reported after liver transplantation. Leukocyte inclusions in glycogen storage disease type IV have also been reported. We present the case of a child who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation for glycogen storage disease type IV. In contrast to previous reports, at autopsy 2 1/2 years after transplantation, there was massive amylopectin deposits in his heart. Further, peripheral leukocytes never showed loss of amylopectin inclusions after transplantation. Orthotopic liver transplantation for type IV glycogen storage disease may not, in all cases, result in improvement in other affected organs. Consideration of multiorgan transplantation appears warranted.

Portal hypertension is an uncommon but serious complication in children. The etiology may be intrahepatic or from an extrahepatic vascular occlusion. The pathophysiology is unknown, but the development of increased vascular resistance and portal flow are believed to be the primary changes. Increased portal flow is created by a decrease in systemic vascular resistance regionalized to the splanchnic vascular bed. Abnormally reduced response to vasoactive substances may be responsible. Advances in ultrasonography and endoscopy may improve our ability to evaluate portal hypertensive vascular changes. However, pharmacologic management is still limited to controlling the hemodynamic disturbances after they have occurred. Nonsurgical shunt management is increasingly being used in children, limiting the need for surgical shunt placement. Liver transplantation is now a viable option for managing end-stage disease. Future management depends on understanding the role of vasoactive substances controlling portal flow velocity, subsequent development of targeted pharmacologic therapy, and application of nonsurgical shunt technology in children. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement is the next technologic advance moving from the adult into the pediatric realm.

The only clinically proven effective treatment of fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is orthotopic liver transplant (OLT). However, many patients die before an organ becomes available. Thus, there is a need for development of an extracorporeal liver support system to "bridge" these patients either to OLT or spontaneous recovery. We developed a bioartificial liver (BAL) based on plasma perfusion through a circuit of a hollow-fiber cartridge seeded with matrix-anchored porcine hepatocytes to treat patients with severe acute liver failure. Two groups of patients were studied. Group 1 (n = 12): patients with FHF. All patients were successfully "bridged" to OLT. "Bridge" time to OLT was 21-96 hr (mean: 39.3 hr). All patients were discharged neurologically intact. Reversal of decerebration was noted in all 11 deep stage 4 coma patients. There was reduction in intracranial pressure (ICP mmHg, 18.2 +/- 2.2 to 8.5 +/- 1.2; p0.004) and increase in cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP mmHg, 71.1 +/- 4.0 to 84.7 +/- 2.6; p0.006). Laboratory values pre- and post-BAL treatment: glucose (mg/dl) 122 +/- 11 to 183 +/- 21, p0.002; ammonia (mumol/l) 155.6 +/- 13.2 to 121.6 +/- 9.5, p0.02; total bilirubin (mg/dl) 21.6 +/- 2.8 to 18.2 +/- 2.2, p0.001; PT (sec) 23.2 +/- 1.7 to 21.9 +/- 1.0, p0.3. Group II (n = 8): patients with chronic liver failure experiencing acute exacerbation. Two patients survived and later underwent OLT. Six patients (not OLT candidates) died 1-14 days after last BAL treatment. Laboratory values pre- and post-treatment: ammonia (mumol/l) 201 +/- 47 to 143 +/- 25, p0.06; total bilirubin (mg/dl) 22.8 +/- 5.2 to 19.5 +/- 4.4, p0.01; PT (sec) 22.5 +/- 2.0 to 21.8 +/- 1.1, p0.6.our clinical experience with the BAL suggests that it may serve as "bridge" to OLT in patients with FHF primarily by reversing intracranial hypertension, but it is not a substitute for OLT in patients with end-stage liver disease who are non-transplant candidates.

Despite recent advances in medical therapy, patients with fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) have a mortality rate approaching 90%. Many patients die because of failure to arrest the progression of cerebral edema. Liver transplantation has improved survival to 65% to 75%. However, there is a shortage of donors and approximately one half of the patients with FHF will die while awaiting liver transplantation. There is thus a need to develop an extracorporeal liver assist system to help keep these patients alive and neurologically intact until either an organ becomes available for transplantation or the native liver recovers from injury. Such a system could also be used during the period of functional recovery from massive liver resection or to assist patients with decompensated chronic liver disease. Over the years, various methods utilizing charcoal and resin hemoperfusion, dialysis, plasma exchange, and other methods of blood detoxification have been developed and tested, but none have gained wide acceptance. This was due to: (i) incomplete understanding of the pathophysiology of liver failure; (ii) lack of accurate methods of assessment, quantitation, and stratification of the degree of liver dysfunction; and (iii) inadequate numbers of prospective controlled clinical trials examining the effects of specific therapeutic modalities. Liver support systems utilizing liver tissue preparations were developed in the 1950s, but it was not until recently that advances in hepatocyte isolation and culture, better understanding of hepatocyte-matrix interactions, and improved hollow-fiber technology have resulted in the development of a new generation of liver assist devices. Some of these devices are currently being tested in the clinical setting. In a preliminary clinical study, we have used a porcine hepatocyte-based liver support system to treat patients with acute liver failure as well as patients with acute exacerbation of chronic liver disease. Patients in the first group, who were candidates for transplantation, were successfully bridged to a transplant with excellent survival. No obvious benefit from bioartifical liver treatments was seen in the second group. It is possible that, in this group, patients will have to be treated earlier and for longer periods of time. Prospective controlled trials will be initiated as soon as the current phase I study is concluded to determine the efficacy of this system in both patients populations. (c) 1996 John WileySons, Inc.