ObjectiveTo introduce the basic principles of commonly used assessment methods for liver function reserve, and compare the advantages and disadvantages of various assessment methods, so as to provide a reference for hepatectomy of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MethodThe literature on evaluation methods of liver reserve function in patients with HCC at home and abroad in recent years was searched and summarized. ResultsFrom the results of literature review, the Child‐Pugh score and indocyanine green discharge test were the most commonly used to assess preoperative liver function reserve for patients with HCC. The application value of other examinations such as albumin-bilirubin score, gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI), nuclear medical imaging in predicting post-hepatectomy liver failure was gradually being explored. ConclusionsThe combination of clinical parameters and volumetric studies is used to assess preoperative liver function reserve for patients with HCC. The clinical applications of nuclear medical imaging and Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI make up for the deficiency of local liver function reserve evaluation, which are important examinations to assess liver function reserve after conversion therapy in the future. However, more domestic studies are still needed to confirm their values.
Objective To explore the safety and efficacy of plasma diafiltration (PDF) in the treatment of liver failure. Methods Patients with liver failure requiring artificial liver treatment in West China Hospital of Sichuan University from December 2020 to December 2022 were selected and divided into three groups according to treatment modality: PDF group, double plasma molecular adsorption system (DPMAS) group and plasma exchange (PE) group. Serum albumin levels and total bilirubin (TB) levels were tested before and after treatments to compare the clearance of these substances among three groups. Adverse events were recorded. Results A total of 88 patients were included, with a total of 179 treatments conducted. Among them, 27 cases in PDF group were treated for 62 times. In PE group, 18 cases were treated for 33 times. In DPMAS group, 43 cases were treated for 84 times. There were no significant differences between the three groups in age, sex, TB, international standardized ratio, albumin, hemoglobin, blood pH value, blood sodium, blood potassium, blood free calcium, or lactate (P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the absolute value of TB decrease, percentage of TB decrease, absolute value of albumin change, and percentage of albumin change before and after treatment among the three groups (P>0.05). Transient hypotension occurred in one patient in DPMAS group. There were two and three allergic reactions in PDF and PE groups, respectively. In addition, 2 patients in PE group had hypocalcemia. Conclusions PDF can be safely used in patients with liver failure, and its therapeutic effect on reducing bilirubin is similar to DPMAS and PE groups. Compared with PE, it needs less plasma supplement. As it can provide ultrafiltration, PDF would be helpful in patients with liver failure accompanied by renal insufficiency oliguria.
Objective To explore favorable factors of reducing incidence of postoperative liver failure after radical resection of Bismuth-Corlette type Ⅳ hilar cholangiocarcinoma in condition of hyperbilirubinemia. Methods All the clinical data of one patient with Bismuth-Corlette type Ⅳ hilar cholangiocarcinoma underwent radical resection in June 2017 in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University were collected. The preoperative total bilirubin level of this patient was 470.3 μmol/L, the patient didn’t receive preoperative biliary drainage. The preoperative jaundice time and cholangitis were calculated accurately. A 3D imaging system for quantitative evaluation of the liver was used to reconstruct the images with contrast-enhanced CT images of this patient. And the total liver volume and the future liver remnant volume (FLRV) were calculated. Finally, 6 months of follow-up were conducted after surgery. Results The exact jaundice time was 20 d and there was no preoperative cholangitis. The postoperative FLRV accounted for about 70%. No postoperative liver failure occurred. No recurrence of tumor and death of patient occurred after 6 months of follow-up. Conclusions Radical resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma in condition of hyperbilirubinemia is not an absolute contraindication for surgery, but indications should be strictly controlled. For special patient whose jaundice with short duration, no preoperative cholangitis and a high FLRV may be treated with directly radical surgery to prevent for losting the best time of surgery.
ObjectiveTo summarize the changes and mechanism of related genes induced by stem cell therapy in acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) in recent years, and in order to guide the clinical value of ACLF and curative effect evaluation. MethodsThrough searching Wanfang med, CNKI, Pubmed database and so on in recent years, the differentially expressed genes induced by stem cell therapy for ACLF in recent years was retrieved and the changes of related genes induced during the treatment process were discussed. ResultsBoth at home and abroad had reported that stem cell therapy in the process of ACLF caused mir-27b, TRAIL, and Tg737 genetic changes, some genetic changes had an fixed change trend. ConclusionsStem cells in the treatment of ACLF, cause mir-27b, TRAIL, Tg737 genetic changes, which can provides a new way and method for monitoring stem cell therapy ACLF.
ObjectiveTo systematically evaluate the risk factors for posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) of hepatobiliary malignancies in order to provide evidence-based medical basis for preventing and reducing PHLF.MethodsThe case-control studies on the risk factors of PHLF for hepatobiliary malignancy were searched in PubMed, CNKI, etc. domestic and foreign databases from January 2011 to March 2020. The quality evaluation of the literatures was performed by using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3.ResultsA total of 43 studies were included, involving 13 075 patients after hepatectomy, of which 1 943 (14.86%) had PHLF. Meta-analysis results showed that the male, liver cirrhosis, portal hypertension, hepatectomy range ≥3 segments, vascular tumor thrombus, intraoperative blood transfusion, tumor number ≥2, Child-Pugh grade ≥B, less platelet count, lower albumin, higher total bilirubin, higer indocyanine green retention rate at 15 minutes, longer hepatic hilar occlusion time, longer operation time, more intraoperative blood loss, bigger maximum tumor diameter, smaller residual liver volume, and higer MELD score were the risk factors for the occurrence of PHLF (P<0.05).ConclusionsAccording to the risk factors of PHLF, the basic condition, liver function, and residual liver volume should be fully evaluated before operation. The operation should be accurate anatomy, adequate hemostasis, timely treatment of intraoperative complications. After operation, the fluid infusion, anti-infection, correction of coagulation dysfunction, and protection of liver function should be strengthened. So incidence of PHLF might be reduced minimally.
ObjectiveTo learn the outcomes of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) cases after artificial liver support system (ALSS) treatment and the relevant factors correlated with the clinical outcomes. MethodsIn the period from January 2011 to June 2014, 321 patients with HBV-ACLF were admitted to West China Hospital. The clinical data at baseline, before and after treatment were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regressions to identify the independent risk factors correlated with 30-day outcomes. ResultsOf all the 321 patients, 233 survived and 88 died by the end of a 30-day observation. The univariate analysis identified that the incidences of cirrhosis, hepatorenal syndrome and peritonitis in the death group were significantly higher (P<0.05). The model for end-stage liver disease values, white blood cells (WBC), blood ammonia, creatinine and total bilirubin (TBIL) at different stages in the death group were significantly higher than those in the survival group (P<0.05). In the death group, the HBV-DNA, TBIL decrease after triple ALSS treatments, baseline prothrombin time activity (PTA) and PTA level after triple ALSS treatments were significantly lower (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression indicated that WBC (OR=2.337, P<0.001) and TBIL level after triple ALSS treatments (OR=4.935, P<0.001) were independent predicting factors for death within 30 days after ALSS treatment; HBV-DNA (OR=0.403, P<0.001), the decrease of TBIL after triple ALSS treatments (OR=0.447, P<0.001) and PTA level after triple ALSS treatments (OR=0.332, P<0.001) were protecting factors for the 30-day prognosis. ConclusionThese five factors including WBC, HBV-DNA, PTA, TBIL and TBIL decrease after triple ALSS treatments influence the short-term prognosis for HBV-ACLF patients, which are valuable for decision making in clinical practices.
ObjectiveTo systematically review the efficacy and safety of plasma exchange (PE) versus routine medical therapy (RMT) for patients with chronic liver failure. MethodsWe electronically searched databases including PubMed, The Cochrane Library (Issue 7, 2014), CBM, CNKI, and VIP from inception to August 2014, to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and clinical controlled trials (CCTs) of PE versus RMT for chronic liver failure patients. Two reviewers independently screened literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted data and assessed the methodological quality of included studies. Then, meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.0 software. ResultsA total of 7 RCTs and 9 CCTs involving 1 632 patients (822 in the PE group and 810 in the RMT group) were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that:compared with the RMT group, the PE group had lower mortality rate (RCT:OR=0.24, 95%CI 0.13 to 0.43; CCT:OR=0.48, 95%CI 0.30 to 0.78) and higher total effective rate (RCT:OR=4.04, 95%CI 2.80 to 5.85; CCT:OR=3.45, 95%CI 2.11 to 5.64). Subgroup analysis based on the stage of liver failure showed that the PE group was superior to the RMT group in early- and intermediate-stage patients with liver failure in total effective rate (early stage:OR=4.78, 95%CI 1.87 to 12.23; intermediate stage:OR=4.43, 95%CI 1.77 to 11.08), but this difference was not found in advanced liver failure patients (OR=1.61, 95%CI 0.35 to 7.38). Seven studies reported 187 cases of adverse reactions (11.46%), and most of them were pruritus and urticaria. ConclusionCurrent evidence shows, compared with the routine medical therapy, the PE therapy could be effective to early- and intermediate-stage liver failure patients, but not be effective to advanced liver failure patients. In addition, patients who received the PE therapy have risks of adverse reactions which mainly are allergic reaction. Due to limited quality and quantity of the included studies, more high quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusion.
ObjectiveTo analyze factors affecting post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and explore value of combining albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score with standardized future liver remnant (sFLR) in prediction of PHLF.MethodsThe clinical data of patients with HCC underwent curative hepatectomy in the Second and the Fifth Departments of General Surgery of the First Hospital of Lanzhou University from January 2016 to June 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The risk factors of PHLF were identified through the logistic regression, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to analyze the predictive value of the ALBI score, sFLR, or ALBI score×sFLR.ResultsA total of 72 patients with HCC were enrolled, all of them were the Child-Pugh A grade. The incidence of PHLF was 27.78% (20/72) in these 72 patients with HCC, which was 12.96% (7/54) and 72.22% (13/18) in the 54 patients with ALBI- Ⅰ grade and 18 patients with ALBI- Ⅱ grade respectively, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). The results of multivariable analysis of PHLF showed that the PLT (OR=0.030, P=0.018), ALBI grade (OR=11.758, P=0.020), and sFLR (OR=0.835, P=0.003) were identified as the independent predictors of PHLF. The AUC for the ALBI score×sFLR in predicting the PHLF was 0.892, it was greater than that of the ALBI score (AUC=0.799) or the sFLR (AUC=0.773).ConclusionCompared with Child-pugh grade, ALBI grade is more accurate in predicting PHLF of HCC patients, and combining ALBI score with sFLR is better than sFLR or ALBI score alone in predicting PHLF of patients with HCC.
Extensive hepatectomy can achieve a higher chance of radical resection of lesions in the hepatobiliary system, but the risk of fatal complications of severe liver failure after surgery also increases accordingly. Therefore, enhancing the liver’s regenerative capacity has always been a hot topic in clinical research. Portal vein blood supply is of great significance for maintaining the normal function of the liver and promoting the repair and proliferation of damaged liver tissue. After selectively altering the blood flow distribution in the portal vein, atrophy or proliferation will occur in different liver lobes. The discovery of the important physiological phenomenon of liver regeneration induced by deportalized blood flow of portal vein has made it possible to promote the volume growth and functional enhancement of the residual liver lobes before hepatectomy, and various technical schemes have been applied and developed in clinical practice. The interim research results show that the portal vein embolization technique is mature, has less trauma, but the induction speed is relatively slow. Portal vein combined with hepatic vein embolization has better induction efficacy and does not increase embolism-related complications, and has a wider range of applications. The induction ability of associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy is significant, but the surgical trauma is large, and there are higher requirements for perioperative management. There is a clear correlation between high surgical volume centers and technical improvements and a significant reduction in complications. Resection and partial liver transplantation with delayed total hepatectomy not only break through the bottlenecks of safety and ethical requirements for living donor liver transplantation in adults, but also innovate and enrich the second-stage extensive hepatectomy schemes. However, their technical standards and application scope still need more high-quality research evidence to support them.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the therapeutic effect of transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) through the spleen for acute live failure in rat, and to observe migration of transplanted MSCs in vivo. MethodsOne male SD rat was sacrificed to collect MSCs, and MSCs were isolated, expanded, and purified by density gradient centrifugation combined with adhere culture method. The surface antigen expressions of MSCs in the fourth generation were detected by immunohistochemistry method. Twenty-four female rats were given D-galactosamine and tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α) to establish models of acute liver failure, and then divided into experimental group and blank control group, each group enrolled 12 rats. MSCs of male rat were transplanted into the spleen of female acute liver failure rats in experimental group at 24 hours after model establishment, but rats of blank control group were injected saline(0.5 mL). After the MSCs transplantation, blood samples of rats in 2 groups were got to test levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total bilirubin(TBIL), and albumin(ALB). PCR method was used to determine the expression of sex determining region Y gene(SRY gene), and HE staining was used to observe the pathological change of liver tissues of rats in 2 groups. ResultsThe MSCs of the fourth generation expressed CD44 and CD29, but didn't express CD34. There were 5(41.7%) and 3 rats(25.0%) survived at 72 hours, in 1 week and 2 weeks after MSCs transplantation in experimental group and blank control group, respectively, and the survival rate was higher in experimental group(P<0.05). The expression of SRY mRNA was detected in rats of experimental group, as well as the damage of liver tissues in rats of experimental group improved. Compared with blank control group, the levels of ALT and TBIL were lower in experimental group at all time points after MSCs transplantation(P<0.05), but in 1 week and 2 weeks after MSCs transplantation, the levels of ALB in experimental group were higher(P<0.05). ConclusionMSCs can migrate to liver tissue, settle down, and exert the function of replacing hepatocyte after it has been transplanted into the spleen.