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Perioperative use of probiotics serves as efficient prophylaxis against postoperative infections after liver transplantation, yet data on long-term effects of pre-transplant probiotic intake is lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of pre-transplant probiotic administration on long-term results of liver transplantation. This was secondary analysis of a randomized trial. Patients were randomized to receive either 4-strain probiotic or placebo before liver transplantation. Five year graft survival was set as the primary end-point. Secondary end-points comprised serum bilirubin and C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration, international normalized ratio (INR), serum transaminases and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity. Study group comprised 44 patients, of whom 21 received probiotics and 23 received placebo with 5-year graft survival of 81.0% and 87.0%, respectively (p = 0.591). Patients in the probiotic arm exhibited lower INR (p = 0.001) and CRP (p = 0.030) over the first 6 post-transplant months. In the absence of hepatitis B or C virus infection, pre-transplant administration of probiotics also reduced aspartate transaminase activity (p = 0.032). In the intervention arm, patients receiving probiotics for under and over 30 days had 5-year graft survival rates of 100% and 66.7%, respectively (p = 0.061). Duration of probiotic intake > 30 days was additionally associated with increased INR (p = 0.031), GGT (p = 0.032) and a tendency towards increased bilirubin (p = 0.074) over first 6 post-transplant months. Pre-transplant administration of probiotics has mild positive influence on 6-month allograft function, yet should not exceed 30 days due to potential negative effects on long-term outcomes. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01735591).

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent indications for liver transplantation. However, the transplantation is ultimately associated with the occurrence of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). It affects not only the function of the graft but also significantly worsens the oncological results. Various methods have been used so far to manage IRI. These include the non-invasive approach (pharmacotherapy) and more advanced options encompassing various types of liver conditioning and machine perfusion. Strategies aimed at shortening ischemic times and better organ allocation pathways are still under development as well. This article presents the mechanisms responsible for IRI, its impact on treatment outcomes, and strategies to mitigate it. An extensive review of the relevant literature using MEDLINE (PubMed) and Scopus databases until September 2020 was conducted. Only full-text articles written in English were included. The following search terms were used: “ischemia reperfusion injury”, “liver transplantation”, “hepatocellular carcinoma”, “preconditioning”, “machine perfusion”.

Background: Despite continuous progress in the field of liver transplantation, considerable proportion of patients still suffer from the postoperative graft dysfunction. Clinically, it presents as early allograft dysfunction (EAD), and its more severe form defined as primary nonfunction (PNF). Posttransplant liver dysfunction translates into significantly worse treatment outcomes. Summary: Both entities are multifactorial, with donor (graft), recipient, and procedure-related factors playing the key roles. Ischemia-reperfusion injury is a major driver of their development. So far, various noninvasive (pharmacological) and invasive strategies have been tested to mitigate its negative effects. This article pre­sents the current approach to diagnosis, prediction, and management of EAD and PNF. Key Messages: Different pharmacological interventions may be considered to improve graft function after liver transplantation. Machine perfusion seems to be the most effective method at the moment.

BACKGROUND The impact of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) transfusions in patients with hepatocellular cancer (HCC) undergoing liver transplantation has rarely been evaluated. The aim of the current study was to assess the impact of intraoperative transfusions on posttransplant outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective cohort study was based on 229 HCC transplant recipients. The primary outcome measure was 5-year recurrence-free survival. Secondary outcome measures comprised overall and long-term survival at 5 years and 90-day mortality. Cox proportional hazard models and logistic regression were used to assess risk factors. RESULTS After adjustment for potential confounders, no association was found with respect to tumor recurrence for PRBCs (P=0.368) or FFP (P=0.081) transfusions. Similarly, PRBC transfusion (P=0.623) and FFP transfusion (P=0.460) had no impact on survival between 90 days and 5 years. PRBC transfusion increased the risk of 90-day mortality (P=0.005), while FFP transfusion was associated with a lower risk (P=0.036). CONCLUSIONS Intraoperative transfusions of blood products does not impair recurrence-free and long-term survival of patients with HCC undergoing liver transplantation. Intraoperative PRBC transfusion increases the risk of early mortality, whereas adequate supplementation of FFP plays a protective role.

Introduction : Infections caused by metacestode stage of the Echinococcus granulosus in humans result in disease named cystic echinococcosis. Aim: To present the outcomes of patients treated surgically for cystic echinococcosis of the liver. Material and methods : One hundred and nineteen patients treated in the period between 1989 and 2014 due to E. granulosus infection in the Department of General, Transplant, and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw were selected for this retrospective study. Diagnostic protocol included imaging examinations, i.e. ultrasonography and computed tomography of the abdomen. Blood samples where used to proceed sequential enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using Em2plus antigen as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect E. granulosus . Results : Surgery was the choice for treatment for almost all of the patients (98.3%). In 40 (34.2%) patients right hemihepatectomy, in 19 (16.2%) patients left hemihepatectomy, and in 21 (17.9%) patients bisegementectomy were performed. Postoperative complications occurred in 4 (3.4%) patients. In 3 patients biliary fistula requiring endoscopic treatment was observed, and 1 patient had subdiaphragmatic abscess successfully treated with drainage under ultrasound guidance. None of the patients died in the postoperative period, and the 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates were 100.0%, 90.9%, and 87.9%, respectively. Conclusions : Surgical treatment of the symptomatic cystic echinococcosis is the modality of choice for E. granulosus infection of the liver. Despite substantial development of diagnostic methods and new management opportunities, echinococcal infection still presents a challenge for epidemiologists, pharmacologists, and clinicists.

Background Although transplant benefit appears superior for patients with advanced hepatocellular cancer (HCC), liver transplantation remains limited to selected low-risk HCC patients to keep their outcomes similar to heterogeneous group of non-HCC patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the rationale for current policy of restricting access to liver transplantation to minority of HCC patients based on utility principle. Methods This retrospective cohort study comprised 1246 liver transplant recipients, including 206 HCC and 1040 non-HCC patients. Patient survival was the primary outcome measure. Patients with HCC and benign diseases were divided into low-, moderate-, and high-risk subgroups basing on independent risk factors for disease-free survival and model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score (40), respectively. Results MELD (p

Background Despite great progress and improvement in results of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx), 10%–20% of patients still require retransplantation (re-OLTx). The aim of the study was to present long-term results of liver retransplantation and to determine the factors influencing outcomes. Patients and Methods From December 1994 to July 2014, a total of 1461 liver transplantations were performed in the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery of Medical University of Warsaw. There were 92 retransplantations (6.3%), including 40 early re-OLTx (up to 30 days). The most common indication for re-OLTx were vascular complications (41/92, 44.6%). Influence of clinical variables on short- and long-term outcomes was analyzed. Results Postoperative mortality was 30.4% (28/92). One-year, 3-year and 5-year survival for all patients was 59.8%, 56.5% and 54.1%, respectively. The best results were achieved in patients undergoing retransplantation due to chronic rejection and biliary complications, whose 5-year survival rates were 75.0% and 72.9% respectively. There was no difference in long-term survival after early and late retransplantations (60.9% and 49.3%, respectively; P = .158). Multivariable analysis revealed factors associated with longer survival of patients, namely, higher preoperative hemoglobin concentration (P = .001), increased blood transfusions (P = .048), and decreased fresh frozen plasma transfusions (P = .004). Conclusions Liver retransplantation is a method providing satisfactory outcomes in selected patients. The perioperative period has a major impact on patient outcome.

The activation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) promotes tumor progression. In this study, we aimed to assess whether RAS inhibitors (RASIs) could improve the outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with primary hypertension after curative liver resection.Data on 387 consecutive patients with primary hypertension who underwent curative liver resection for HCC were reviewed. The study population was divided into two groups based on the type of anti-hypertensive medications: the RASI group (patients using RASIs) and the non-RASI group (patients using other anti-hypertensive drugs but not RASIs). Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank tests and cox proportional hazards regression models were used to analyze time to recurrence (TTR) and overall survival (OS).There were 144 (37.2%) patients in RASI group and 243 (62.8%) in non-RASI group. The preoperative clinicopathological features were comparable between the two groups. Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated HCC patients with RASIs had a longer TTR and OS than the patients with non-RASIs (both P0.001). On multivariate analysis, RASIs administration was identified as an independent prognostic factor for TTR [hazard ratio (HR) =0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.38-0.70, P0.001] and OS (HR =0.50, 95% CI, 0.34-0.74, P0.001). Patients in the RASI group had lower rates of extrahepatic metastases than patients in the non-RASI group (2.8%Targeting the RAS was associated with a reduced risk of recurrence, decreased rate of extrahepatic metastases and prolonged survival of HCC patients with primary hypertension after curative liver resection.

The magnitude of pre-transplant a-fetoprotein (AFP) changes has been advocated to be a superior predictor of hepatocellular cancer (HCC) recurrence following liver transplantation. The aim of this study was to compare AFP dynamics and last pre-transplant AFP as risk factors for post-transplant HCC recurrence.Data of 146 patients after liver transplantation for HCC were analyzed retrospectively.While last pre-transplant AFP was a significant predictor of microvascular invasion (p=0.006) and poor tumor differentiation (p=0.020), AFP slope was associated only with microvascular invasion (p=0.029). Notably, last pre-transplant AFP (p0.001), but not AFP slope (p=0.279), was an independent risk factor for recurrence. No significant effects of AFP slope were also found following division of patients into those with pre-transplant AFP100 (p=0.260) and those with AFP100 (p=0.178) ng/mL. Moreover, prediction of recurrence based on last pre-transplant AFP was superior (p=0.018) to those based on AFP slope. Recurrence-free survival at 5 years was superior in patients with pre-transplant AFP persistently at (97.3%) or dropping to100 ng/mL (100.0%) as compared to patients with AFP rising to (75.0%) or persistently at100 ng/mL (38.4%; p0.001).The risk of post-transplant HCC recurrence is dependent on the last pre-transplant AFP regardless of its previous dynamics.

Liver resections are performed in increasing numbers due to oncological indications. Thus, the indications for surgical treatment of liver tumors are constantly expanding. Advanced age and other comorbidities often exclude this group of patients from treatment by liver resection. Patient C.S. (80 y.a., height 166 cm, weight 97 kg, ASA = 4) with risk factors was admitted for resection of metastatic lesions (adenocarcinoma) of the cecum to the liver. The patient was diagnosed with hypertension, atherosclerosis, stable coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, chronic renal failure (eGFR = 37), obesity, degenerative spinal lesions, sigmoid colon diverticulitis, dystonic tremor of the head. Previously operated upon and had amputation of the uterus with appendages (2005), cholecystectomy, right hemicolectomy (2012) complicated by respiratory failure with the need for ventilation seven days post-surgery. Prior to surgery, the patient had imaging tests such as ultrasound, CT and MRI scans of the abdomen, which confirmed a 55mm metastatic tumor in the seventh segment of the liver. The results were analyzed during a radiological and surgical consultation in order to prepare the safest available surgical access and the scope of the planned resection. A cardiac echocardiography was performed and the patient had a cardio-, neuro- and anesthetic consultation. The patient was fully informed about the high risk of complications and possible operational failure. During surgery a right hemihepatectomy was performed. The resected lobe weighed 712 g. Blood loss was < 500 ml, 2 units RBC and 2 units FFP were transfused. The surgery and the postoperative period proceeded without serious complications. The only problem was a short-lived biliary fistula, which healed spontaneously. Age and comorbid conditions are often a contraindication for surgery, but with proper medical support, the opportunity to interact with other professionals and thorough preparation of the patient and the team of surgeons, the risk of failure can be significantly minimized. A modern, personalized, multidisciplinary approach towards each patient can expand indications and reduce contraindications for hepatic resection.

Introduction Amanita phalloides and paracetamol intoxications are responsible for the majority of acute liver failures. Aim To assess survival outcomes and to analyse risk factors affecting survival in the studied group. Material and methods Of 1369 liver transplantations performed in the Department of General, Transplant, and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw before December 2013, 20 (1.46%) patients with Amanita phalloides (n = 13, 0.95%) and paracetamol (n = 7, 0.51%) intoxication were selected for this retrospective study. Overall and graft survival at 5 years were set as primary outcome measures. Results Five-year overall survival after liver transplantation in the studied group was 53.57% and 53.85% in patients with paracetamol and Amanita phalloides poisoning, respectively (p = 0.816). Five-year graft survival was 26.79% for patients with paracetamol and 38.46% with Amanita phalloides intoxication (p = 0.737). Risk factors affecting patient survival were: pre-transplant bilirubin concentration (p = 0.023) and higher number of red blood cells (p = 0.013) and fresh frozen plasma (p = 0.004) transfused intraoperatively. Likewise, higher number of red blood cells (p = 0.012) and fresh frozen plasma (p = 0.007) transfused were risk factors affecting 5-year graft survival. Surprisingly, donor and recipient blood type incompatibility was neither the risk factor for 5-year overall survival (p = 0.939) nor the risk factor for 5-year graft survival (p = 0.189). Conclusions In selected intoxicated patients urgent liver transplantation is the only successful modality of treatment. Risk factors affecting survival are in correspondence with the patient's pre-transplant status (bilirubin level in serum) and intraoperative status (number of red blood cells and fresh frozen plasma transfused).

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to assess risk factors for postoperative mortality after liver transplantation among patients with Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores ≥35, with special focus on the MELD scores. MATERIAL AND METHODS Data from 68 primary liver transplantations in patients with MELD scores ≥35 among 1376 liver transplantations performed in the Department of General, Transplant, and Liver Surgery (Medical University of Warsaw) between January 2002 and October 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. Postoperative (90-day) mortality was set as the primary outcome measure. RESULTS Postoperative mortality was 29.4% (20 of 68). The overall survival rates after 1, 5, and 10 years were 61.9%, 59.7%, and 59.7%, respectively. According to univariate analyses, MELD (p=0.014), conventional technique of liver transplantation (p=0.049), intraoperative fresh frozen plasma (p=0.040), and red blood cells (p=0.026) transfusions were risk factors for postoperative mortality. MELD score was the only independent risk factor for postoperative mortality (p=0.023) in multivariate analysis. According to receiver operating characteristics analysis, the optimal cut-off for MELD score in prediction of postoperative mortality was ≥43 (Area Under Curve=0.703, 95% Confidence Interval 0.575-0.831). Postoperative mortality was 21.4% and 42.3% among patients with MELD score

Microvascular invasion (MVI) is well known to negatively influence outcomes following surgical treatment of hepatocellular cancer (HCC) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rationale for prediction of MVI before liver transplantation (LT). Data of 200 HCC patients after LT were subject to retrospective analysis. MVI was present in 57 patients (28.5%). Tumor number (p = 0.001) and size (p = 0.009), and alpha-fetoprotein (p = 0.049) were independent predictors of MVI used to create a prediction model, defined as: 0.293x(tumor number) + 0.283x(tumor size in cm) + 0.164xloge(alpha-fetoprotein in ng/ml) (c statistic = 0.743). The established cut-off (≥2.24) was associated with sensitivity and specificity of 72%. MVI was not an independent risk factor for recurrence (p = 0.307), in contrast to tumor number (p = 0.047) and size (p

Summary Background & aims Although there is increasing evidence for the benefits of probiotics in patients with liver diseases, data on the benefits of pre-LT administration of probiotics are lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of continuous administration of probiotics before liver transplantation (LT) on pre- and post-transplant patient outcomes. Methods In this randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial adult cirrhotic patients listed for LT received a 4-strain probiotic preparation or placebo daily from enrollment until LT. The primary outcome measures were postoperative mortality and infection rates. The secondary outcome measures were 5-day post-transplant aspartate and alanine aminotransferase activities, bilirubin concentration, and international normalized ratio; waiting-list mortality; pre-transplant Model for End-stage Liver Disease score and Child-Turcotte-Pugh class changes; and pre-transplant infections. Results A total of 55 patients were randomized. The 90-day postoperative mortality rates were 0% and 4.3% in the probiotic and placebo groups, respectively (p > 0.99). Patients receiving probiotics had significantly reduced 30-day (4.8% versus 34.8%, p = 0.02) and 90-day (4.8% versus 47.8%, p = 0.002) infection rates, lower post-LT bilirubin concentration (p = 0.02), and more rapid decrease of aspartate (p = 0.03) and alanine (p = 0.03) aminotransferase activities. Probiotics did not have significant effects on other secondary outcome measures. Conclusions Although continuous administration of probiotics before LT does not appear to affect postoperative mortality, it effectively prevents postoperative infections and improves early biochemical parameters of allograft function. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01735591 .

Intraabdominal hemorrhage remains one of the most frequent surgical complications after liver transplantation.The aim of the study was to evaluate risk factors for intraabdominal bleeding requiring reoperation and to assess the relevance of the reoperations with respect to short- and long-term outcomes following liver transplantation.Material and methods. Data of 603 liver transplantations performed in the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery in the period between January 2011 and September 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. Study end-points comprised: reoperation due to bleeding and death during the first 90 postoperative days and between 90 postoperative day and third post-transplant year.Results. Reoperations for intraabdominal bleeding were performed after 45 out of 603 (7.5%) transplantations. Low pre-transplant hemoglobin was the only independent predictor of reoperation (p=0.002) with the cut-off of 11.3 g/dl. Postoperative 90-day mortality was significantly higher in patients undergoing reoperation as compared to the remaining patients (15.6% vs 5.6%, p=0.008). Post-transplant survival from 90 days to 3 years was non-significantly lower in patients after reoperation for bleeding (83.3%) as compared to the remaining patients (92.2%, p=0.096). Nevertheless, multivariable analyses did not reveal any significant negative impact of reoperations for bleeding on short-term mortality (p=0.589) and 3-year survival (p=0.079).Conclusions. Surgical interventions due to postoperative intraabdominal hemorrhage do not appear to affect short- and long-term outcomes following liver transplantation. Preoperative hemoglobin concentration over 11.3 g/dl is associated with decreased risk of this complication, yet the clinical relevance of this phenomenon is doubtful

Background Cryptogenic cirrhosis (CC) is an indication for liver transplantation in 5-9% of recipients. Diagnosis is made when other diagnostic possibilities have been ruled out. The aim of this study was to present long-term outcomes of liver transplantation for CC. Material and methods There have been 1367 liver transplantations performed during the years 1994-2013 in the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery at the Medical University of Warsaw. This retrospective study comprised 55 patients after liver transplantation for CC (4.0%). Perioperative mortality (30 days) and patient and graft 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates were set as outcome measures. Results Peri-operative mortality reached 10.9% (6 of 55). The 1-, 5- and 10-year patient and graft survival rates were 85.2%, 78.8%, and 73.9%, respectively, and 83.3%, 74.5%, and 74.5%, respectively. In univariate analyses, the following parameters significantly influenced patient survival: pre-operative aspartate (AST; p=0.013) and alanine (ALT; p=0.043) aminotransferases activity, INR (p=0.040), bilirubin concentration (p=0.045), and donor age (p=0.033). Similarly, graft survival was significantly associated with AST (p=0.013), ALT (p=0.043), bilirubin concentration (p=0.044), INR (p=0.038), and recipient sex (p=0.049). In multivariable analyses, a tendency towards worse patient and graft survival was observed in patients with higher pre-operative AST (p=0.078 for patient survival and p=0.063 for graft survival). Analyses of the pathological reports indicated that underlying immunological processes were the most probable cause of liver damage in 16 of 51 patients (31.4%). Conclusions Long-term outcomes of liver transplantation in patients with cryptogenic liver cirrhosis are encouraging. Analysis of the clinical course, biochemical parameters, and factors influencing outcomes suggest an underlying autoimmunological etiology of cirrhosis in this population of patients.

Introduction Infections caused by metacestode stage of the Echinococcus granulosus in humans result in disease named cystic echinococcosis. Aim To present the outcomes of patients treated surgically for cystic echinococcosis of the liver. Material and methods One hundred and nineteen patients treated in the period between 1989 and 2014 due to E. granulosus infection in the Department of General, Transplant, and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw were selected for this retrospective study. Diagnostic protocol included imaging examinations, i.e. ultrasonography and computed tomography of the abdomen. Blood samples where used to proceed sequential enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using Em2plus antigen as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect E. granulosus. Results Surgery was the choice for treatment for almost all of the patients (98.3%). In 40 (34.2%) patients right hemihepatectomy, in 19 (16.2%) patients left hemihepatectomy, and in 21 (17.9%) patients bisegementectomy were performed. Postoperative complications occurred in 4 (3.4%) patients. In 3 patients biliary fistula requiring endoscopic treatment was observed, and 1 patient had subdiaphragmatic abscess successfully treated with drainage under ultrasound guidance. None of the patients died in the postoperative period, and the 1-, 5-, and 10-year survival rates were 100.0%, 90.9%, and 87.9%, respectively. Conclusions Surgical treatment of the symptomatic cystic echinococcosis is the modality of choice for E. granulosus infection of the liver. Despite substantial development of diagnostic methods and new management opportunities, echinococcal infection still presents a challenge for epidemiologists, pharmacologists, and clinicists.

Liver transplantation (LT) outcomes for patients with poorly differentiated (G3) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are unsatisfactory. The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes in patients with poorly differentiated HCC undergoing LT.There were 192 HCC patients after LT in the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery, Medical University of Warsaw, between January 2001 and April 2014. The study group comprised 24 patients with poorly differentiated tumors.Disease-free survival (DFS) for all patients was 49.5% at 5 years. The 5-year DFS for patients who met the Milan criteria (n = 9, 88.9%) was significantly better compared to those who did not (n = 15, 28.0%, P = .025). Multivariable analysis revealed that only the largest tumor diameter (P = .014) and α-fetoprotein (AFP) concentration (P = .001) were independent risk factors for DFS. The optimal cut-off AFP and tumor size that could distinguish patients with the highest risk were ≥500 ng/mL and ≥3.5 cm, respectively. DFS for patients with AFP 500 ng/mL and tumor size 3.5 cm was 100% after 2.8 years, and for those with ≥500 ng/mL or tumor size ≥3.5 cm was 46.9% after 5 years. However, the DFS for patients with AFP ≥500 ng/mL and tumor size ≥3.5 cm was only 12.5% after 4.7 years (P = .002).Outcomes of patients with poorly differentiated HCC treated with LT can be characterized with acceptable survival when applying criteria based on tumor size 3.5 cm and AFP 500 ng/mL.

Liver transplantation is a well-established treatment of patients with end-stage liver disease and selected liver tumors. Remarkable progress has been made over the last years concerning nearly all of its aspects.was to evaluate the evolution of long-term outcomes after liver transplantations performed in the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery (Medical University of Warsaw).Data of 1500 liver transplantations performed between 1989 and 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Transplantations were divided into 3 groups: group 1 including first 500 operations, group 2 including subsequent 500, and group 3 comprising the most recent 500. Five year overall and graft survival were set as outcome measures.Increased number of transplantations performed at the site was associated with increased age of the recipients (pLong-term outcomes after liver transplantations performed in the Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery are comparable to those achieved in the largest transplant centers worldwide and are continuously improving despite increasing recipient age and wider utilization of organs procured from older donors.

BACKGROUND Hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) virus infection are the 2 most important risk factors for the development of the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to assess the importance of the type of viral infection in evaluation of HCC recurrence risk after liver transplantation (LT). MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study was based on 130 HCC patients undergoing LT. Patients were subdivided by HBV or HCV infection only or HBV and HCV co-infection (HBV-HCV). The primary outcome measure was recurrence-free survival (RFS) 5 years after transplantation. RESULTS The 5-year RFS did not differ significantly according to HBV infection, HCV infection, or HBV-HCV co-infection in the entire study cohort (p=0.902) or among patients who fulfilled (p=0.454) or did not fulfill (p=0.999) the Milan criteria. Neither HCV (p=0.869) nor HBV (p=0.968) infection significantly affected 5-year RFS following adjustment for covariates. Higher lesion number (p=0.004), increased alpha-fetoprotein (p=0.017), microvascular invasion (p=0.004), and female donor sex (p=0.025) were significant risk factors for poor RFS in HBV patients; older recipient age (p=0.010) and increased total tumor volume (p=0.028) were significant risk factors in HCV patients. CONCLUSIONS Although the viral infection type does not affect post-LT outcomes in HCC patients, the influence of other risk factors is markedly different in HBV- and HCV-related HCC.

Despite the aggressive nature and poor prognosis of gall-bladder cancer there is a group of patients who can achieve significant benefits from a radical surgical treatment. The possibility of obtaining long-term survival, even in case of patients with locally advanced cancer and metastases to regional lymph nodes, prompts to verify nihilistic approach to the treatment of this disease. Obviously such therapy can and should be performed only in centers specializing in hepatobiliary surgery. Due to the high recurrence rate, most of which are systemic, the hope of improving treatment outcomes should be sought in the use of combination therapy, based on a new chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy regimens with the addition of targeted therapy. Unfortunately, the current application of these methods did not bring the expected benefits.

Background Prolonged cold ischemic time (CIT) and increased donor age are well-known factors negatively influencing outcomes after liver transplantation (LT). Aims The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the magnitude of their negative effects is related to recipient model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score. Methods This retrospective study was based on a cohort of 1402 LTs, divided into those performed in low-MELD (20) recipients. Results While neither donor age (p = 0.775) nor CIT (p = 0.561) was a significant risk factor for worse 5-year graft survival in low-MELD recipients, both were found to yield independent effects (p = 0.003 and p = 0.012, respectively) in moderate-MELD recipients, and only CIT (p = 0.004) in high-MELD recipients. However, increased donor age only triggered the negative effect of CIT in moderate-MELD recipients, which was limited to grafts recovered from donors aged ≥46 years (p = 0.019). Notably, utilization of grafts from donors aged ≥46 years with CIT ≥9 h in moderate-MELD recipients (p = 0.003) and those with CIT ≥9 h irrespective of donor age in high-MELD recipients (p = 0.031) was associated with particularly compromised outcomes. Conclusions In conclusion, the negative effects of prolonged CIT seem to be limited to patients with moderate MELD receiving organs procured from older donors and to high-MELD recipients, irrespective of donor age. Varying effects of donor age and CIT according to recipient MELD score should be considered during the allocation process in order to avoid high-risk matches.

Background Combination of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the up-to-7 criteria with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) cutoff of 100 ng/ml was proposed as the Warsaw expansion of the Milan criteria in selection of hepatocellular cancer (HCC) patients for liver transplantation. The purpose of this retrospective study was to validate this proposal. Methods A total of 240 HCC patients after liver transplantation were included. Recurrence-free survival and overall survival at 5 years were set as the primary and secondary outcome measures, respectively. Results The Warsaw expansion increased transplant eligibility rate by 20.3 %. AFP >100 ng/ml significantly increased the recurrence risk in patients within the Milan criteria (p = 0.025) and in those beyond, yet within either the UCSF or the up-to-7 criteria (p