Adult Liver Transplantation Research Articles

The Impact of Perioperative Bilirubin and Albumin Levels on Postoperative Early Complications in Adult Liver Transplantation.

Postoperative complications persist as a significant cause of graft failure in liver transplantation. Identifying circulatory markers that predict such complications holds excellent clinical value. This study aimed to investigate serological indicators that can indicate early complications in adult liver transplantation. This study included 436 patients who underwent liver transplantation at our hospital, along with corresponding monitoring protocols. The differences and interactions of circulating indicators at various time points were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance. Post-hoc multiple comparisons were adjusted using the Bonferroni method. Restricted cubic spline regression models assessed non-linear associations between circulating markers, complications, and mortality. This study demonstrated significant time effects for all related markers, with substantial differences in complications and mortality for direct bilirubin and albumin. The restricted cubic spline model revealed a significant positive association between direct bilirubin and complications across three postoperative phases (p postoperative phase 1 = 0.0011, p postoperative phase 2 = 0.0001, p postoperative phase 3 = 0.0020). Conversely, albumin showed a significant negative association with complications in phases 1 and 2 (p postoperative phase 1 = 0.0001, p postoperative phase 2 = 0.0009). Furthermore, direct bilirubin was significant associated with increased mortality of postoperative phase 2 and phase 3 (p postoperative phase 2 < 0.0001, p postoperative phase 3 < 0.0001), while albumin showed a significant negative association with mortality (p postoperative phase 1 = 0.0306). Direct bilirubin and albumin are potential critical factors affecting early complications after liver transplantation. Close monitoring of these markers within 24-72 postoperative hours may help predict the occurrence of complications.

Systematic review of extrahepatic hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm following adult liver transplantation: Risk factors and treatment modalities.

Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm (HAP) is a rare vascular complication following liver transplantation (LTx) with treatment choice frequently driven by institutional experience. Approximately, 10% of hepatic grafts are lost from this complication, requiring re-transplantation and placing further demand on the already present organ shortage. Secondly, patients with HAP can present with catastrophic bleeding, with reported mortality of up to 78%. We aim to identify risk factors associated with HAP and assess the survival benefit of different treatment modalities used (endovascular and open surgical techniques). Early detection may facilitate semi-elective management of this condition. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Medline and Embase up to 1 October 2023. Case series with ≥5 patients focusing on adult patients who developed extrahepatic pseudoaneurysm following LTx were included. A total of 11 studies were pooled, comprising of 118 patients with survival data available in 61 patients. The most common presentation was haemorrhagic shock or luminal haemorrhage (75.5%). Bile leak was documented in 66.7% (28/42), 15.2% (18/118) associated foregut pathologies and 28.6% (14/49) of microbiology cultures grew a fungal organism. Flow preserving strategies (stenting, revascularization) trended towards better survival at 120 months compared to non-flow preserving strategies (embolization, HAL); however, this was not statistically significant following log rank (Mantel-Cox) analysis (P 0.169). Any patient following LTx presenting with haemorrhagic shock or luminal bleeding needs HAP excluded urgently. HAP management is complex, requiring careful consideration of patient specific presentation, anatomic factors and associated pathologies.

Revisiting the Prognostic Influences of Donor-Recipient Size Mismatch in Deceased Donor Liver Transplantation.

Liver transplantation (LT) outcomes are influenced by donor-recipient size mismatch. This study re-evaluated the impact on graft size discrepancies on survival outcomes. Data from 53 389 adult LT recipients from the United Network for Organ Sharing database (2013-2022) were reviewed. The study population was divided by the body surface area index (BSAi), defined as the ratio of donor body surface area (BSA) to recipient BSA, into small-for-size (BSAi < 0.78), normal-for-size (BSAi 0.78-1.24), and large-for-size (BSAi > 1.24) grafts in deceased donor LT (SFSD, NFSD, and LFSD). Multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were conducted. The frequency of size mismatch in deceased donor LT increased over the past 10 y. SFSD had significantly worse 90-d graft survival (P < 0.01), and LFSD had inferior 1-y graft survival among 90-d survivors (P = 0.01). SFSD was hazardous within 90 d post-LT because of vascular complications. Beyond 1 y, graft size did not affect graft survival. LFSD risk within the first year was mitigated with lower model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) 3.0 scores (<35) or shorter cold ischemia time (<8 h). The negative impacts on donor-recipient size mismatch on survival outcomes are confined to the first year post-LT. SFSD is associated with a slight decrease in 90-d survival rates. LFSD should be utilized more frequently by minimizing cold ischemia time to <8 h, particularly in patients with MELD 3.0 scores below 35. These findings could improve donor-recipient matching and enhance LT outcomes.

Does the introduction of acuity circle policy change split liver transplantation practice?

With the Acuity Circles (AC) policy aiming to reduce disparities in liver transplantation (LT) access, the allocation of high-quality grafts has shifted, potentially affecting the use and outcomes of split LT. Data from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database (February 4, 2016, to February 3, 2024) were analyzed, including 1,470 candidates who underwent deceased donor split LT, with 681 adult and 789 pediatric cases. The study periods were divided into pre-AC (February 4, 2016, to February 3, 2020) and post-AC (February 4, 2020, to February 3, 2024). The study assessed changes in split LT volumes and examined the impact of center practices. Both adult and pediatric split LTs decreased in the initial three years post-policy change, followed by an increase in the final year, with an overall 11.9% and 13.9% decrease between the eras. Adult female split LT cases remained consistent, ensuring access for smaller recipients. High-quality "splittable" livers were increasingly allocated to high MELD patients (MELD-Na ≥30). Despite the overall decrease in case volume, adult split LT volume increased in newly active LDLT centers, with six centers increasing LDLT volume by over 50.0%. Pediatric split LT volumes decreased despite additional priorities for pediatric candidates. The number of split LTs decreased in the initial period after the AC policy introduction, but there was a consistent need for small female candidates. In the adult population, LDLT and split LT demonstrated a synergistic effect in boosting center transplant volumes, potentially improving access for female candidates who need small grafts.

Prediction of Whole Liver Graft Weight Based on Biometric Variables in Paediatric and Adult Liver Donors.

In paediatric liver transplantation, donor-recipient compatibility depends on graft size. We explored whether the graft weight can be predicted using the donor's biometric parameters. We used seven easily available biometric variables in 142 anonymised paediatric and adult donors, with data collected between 2016 and 2022. The whole or partial liver was transplanted in our hospital from these donors. We identified the variables that had the strongest correlation to our response variable: whole liver graft weight. In child donors, we determined two linear models: using donor weight and height on the one hand and using donor weight and right liver span on the other hand. Both models had a coefficient of determination R2 = 0.86 and p-value < 10-5. We also determined two models in adult donors using donor weight and height (R2 = 0.33, p < 10-4) and donor weight and sternal height (R2 = 0.38, p < 10-4). The models proved valid based on our external dataset of 245 patients from two institutions. In clinical practise, our models could provide rapidly accessible estimates to determine whole graft dimension compatibility in liver transplantation in children and adults. Determining similar models predicting the left lobe and lateral segment weight could prove invaluable in paediatric transplantation.

LTSI Consensus Guidelines: Preoperative Cardiac Evaluation in Adult Liver Transplant Recipients

LTSI Consensus Guidelines: Preoperative Cardiac Evaluation in Adult Liver Transplant Recipients

Evaluating the yield of digital single operator cholangioscopy in posttransplant biliary strictures after unsuccessful guidewire placement with ERCP.

Strictures are the most common biliary complication after liver transplantation, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is considered the gold standard in its management. Failure to cross the biliary anastomosis requires a repeated attempt with ERCP, referral for percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) or surgery. We present our experience with the digital single operator cholangioscope (D-SOC) in achieving guidewire access in a liver transplant cohort with difficult biliary strictures who have failed conventional ERCP methods. This was a retrospective study involving two adult liver transplant centers servicing the two most populated states in Australia. Deceased-donor liver transplant recipients undergoing D-SOC for biliary strictures who have failed conventional methods to achieve biliary access were included. Between July 2017 to April 2022, eighteen patients underwent D-SOC after failing to achieve guidewire placement through standard ERCP techniques. Thirteen out of eighteen (72%) had successful guidewire placement with index D-SOC. Five of eighteen patients (28%) had unsuccessful guidewire placement with D-SOC. In two of these patients, use of D-SOC informed further endoscopic management, with one avoiding PTC and the other avoiding surgery. Two of the five patients required PTC and one patient was left unstented. Three patients developed post D-SOC cholangitis. D-SOC is effective at achieving guidewire access in post-liver transplant patients who fail conventional ERCP techniques and should be considered in the treatment algorithm as a step before PTC and surgery.

Geographic Disparities in Primary Care Physicians: Local Impact on Long-term Outcomes in Adult Liver Transplant Recipients

BackgroundGeographic inequities are known to affect access to liver transplant (LT); however, the impact of these disparities postoperatively remains unknown. We focus on primary care physicians (PCPs), as frequent managers of long-term LT recipient care. MethodsClinical data on adults undergoing liver-only transplant 2010-2021 were obtained from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and linked to zip code-based PCP density and social vulnerability index (SVI) data to quantify the impact of PCP density on graft and overall survival. Results64,593 patients were divided into quintiles by PCP density. Compared to patients in the lowest PCP quintile, patients in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th quintiles had 6%-8% lower mortality risk (HR3rd =0.94, HR4th =0.92, HR5th =0.94, p for trend=0.002). PCP density remained significant after accounting for SVI and local surgeon and gastroenterologist availability (p=0.002). ConclusionsIncreased PCP availability is associated with improved survival, emphasizing the importance of establishing longitudinal care.

Exploring Anesthesiology Management of Living Donor Liver Transplantation: Survey From the Society for the Advancement of Transplant Anesthesia and the Korean Society for Transplantation Anesthesiologists.

While living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) serves as the predominant method of adult liver transplant (LT) in the Republic of Korea (ROK), it represents a minority of LT in the United States (US). A survey was conducted to gain insight into these nations' anesthetic management. An electronic questionnaire was distributed to directors of LT anesthesiology overseeing LDLT programs in both countries between May 2021 and October 2021. The response rate was 93.0% (100% [37/37] in the US and 80% [16/20] in the ROK). Both countries mainly adhered to deceased donor LT recipient management practices, including the frequency of routine pulmonary artery catheter use, transesophageal echocardiography, and point-of-care coagulation monitoring. Differences were observed in early extubation of recipients (US vs. ROK: 39.7%vs. 14.7% of all cases), participation in donor selection meetings (88.9% [32/36] vs. 6.3% [1/16], p < 0.0001), application of the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery donor protocol (69.4% [25/36] vs. 12.5% [2/16], p < 0.0001), and cell saver usage for donors (94.4% [34/36] vs. 18.8% [3/16], p < 0.0001). More ROK programs implemented simultaneous donor/recipient anesthesia supervision by a single anesthesiologist. Several important differences were identified between the US and the ROK in adult LDLT anesthetic management.

Immunosuppression regimen and latitude impact keratinocyte carcinoma risk in U.S. liver transplant recipients

Immunosuppression after solid organ transplantation is associated with an increased risk of keratinocyte carcinoma (KC). Despite its established morbidity, KC risk in liver transplant (LT) recipients is understudied, including the contribution of immunosuppression regimen and latitude. A retrospective cohort of 9,966 adult first LT alone recipients alive with their native allograft at 1-year post-LT without prior KC between 2007 and 2016 were identified using linked data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and Medicare administrative claims. The primary exposures were immunosuppression regimen and latitude of residence. The primary outcome was incident, de novo KC occurring at least 1-year after LT. Adjusted Cox regression analysis stratified by transplant center was used in all analyses. The cohort was 63.4% male, 70.2% White and with median age 61 years (interquartile range, IQR, 54–66) at transplant. Calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) with anti-metabolite combination was independently associated with incident KC when measured as intention-to-treat (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.21 vs. CNI monotherapy, 95% CI 1.02–1.43, p = 0.026), in a time-updating as-treated analysis (aHR 1.61, 95% CI 1.34–1.93; p < 0.001) and when measured as cumulative exposure (aHR 1.13 per 6-month increase, 95% CI: 1.02–1.33; p = 0.027). More southern latitude of residence was also independently associated with incident KC with an aHR of 1.26 per 5°N decrease towards the Equator (95% CI: 1.08–1.47, p = 0.003). We demonstrate independent effects of CNI with antiM immunosuppression regimen and latitude of residence on the risk of post-LT KC, which will better inform screening practices and immunosuppression management.

Sex and Size Disparities in Access to Liver Transplant for Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Women on the liver transplant waiting list are less likely to undergo a transplant than men. Recent approaches to resolving this disparity have involved adjustments to Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scoring, but this will not affect candidates who rely on exception scores rather than calculated MELD score, the majority of whom have hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To evaluate the association between female sex, candidate size, and access to liver transplant among wait-listed patients with HCC. This retrospective cohort study used US transplant registry data of all adult (aged ≥18 years) wait-listed liver transplant candidates receiving an HCC exception score between January 1, 2010, and March 2, 2023. Wait-listed liver transplant candidate sex. The association of female sex with (1) deceased-donor liver transplant (DDLT) and (2) death or waiting list removal for health deterioration were estimated using multivariable competing-risks regression. Results with and without adjustment for candidate height and weight (mediators of the sex disparity) were compared. The cohort included 31 725 candidates with HCC (mean [SD] age at receipt of exception, 61.2 [7.1] years; 76.3% men). Compared with men, women had a lower 1-year cumulative incidence of DDLT (50.8% vs 54.0%; P < .001) and a higher 1-year cumulative incidence of death or delisting for health deterioration (16.2% vs 15.0%; P = .002). After adjustment, without accounting for size, women had a lower incidence of DDLT (subdistribution hazard ratio [SHR], 0.92; 95% CI, 0.89-0.95) and higher incidence of death or delisting (SHR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.00-1.13) compared with men. When adjusting for candidate height and weight, there was no association of female sex with incidence of DDLT or death or delisting. However, at a height cutoff of 166 cm, short women compared with short men were still less likely to undergo a transplant (SHR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.88-0.99). In this study, women with HCC were less likely to receive a DDLT and more likely to die while wait-listed than men with HCC; these differences were largely (but not entirely) explained by sex-based differences in candidate size. For candidates listed with exception scores, additional changes to allocation policy are needed to resolve the sex disparity, including solutions to improve access to size-matched donor livers for smaller candidates.

Liver transplant recipients have worse metabolic body phenotype compared with matched non-transplant controls.

Quantification of body compartments, particularly the interaction between adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, is emerging as novel a biomarker of metabolic health. The present study evaluated the impact of liver transplant (LT) on body compartments. Totally 66 adult LT recipients were enrolled in whom body compartments including visceral adipose tissue (VAT), abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (ASAT), muscle fat infiltration (MFI), fat-free muscle volume (FFMV), and liver fat (LF) were quantified via whole body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To provide non-LT comparison, each LT recipient was matched to at least 150 non-LT controls for same sex, age, and body mass index (BMI) from the UK Biobank registry. LT recipients (vs matched non-LT controls) had significantly higher subcutaneous (13.82 ± 5.47 vs 12.10 ± 5.10 L, P < 0.001) and visceral fat (7.59 ± 3.75 vs 6.72 ± 3.06 L, P = 0.003) and lower LF (5.88 ± 7.14 vs 8.75 ± 6.50%, P < 0.001) and muscle volume (11.69 ± 2.95 vs 12.12 ± 2.90 L, P = 0.027). In subgroup analysis, patients transplanted for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) cirrhosis (vs non-MASH cirrhosis) had higher ASAT, VAT, and MFI. A trend toward higher LF content was noted; however, this did not reach statistical significance (6.90 ± 7.35 vs 4.04 ± 6.23%, P = 0.189). Finally, compared with matched non-LT controls, patients transplanted for MASH cirrhosis had higher ASAT and VAT; however, FFMV and MFI were similar. Using non-LT controls, the current study established the higher-than-expected adiposity burden among LT recipients, which is even higher among patients transplanted for MASH cirrhosis. These findings provide data needed to design future studies developing radiomics-based risk-stratification strategies in LT recipients.

Association of nonstandardized model for end-stage liver disease score exceptions with waitlist mortality in adult liver transplant candidates

In the US liver allocation system, nonstandardized model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) exceptions (NSEs) increase the waitlist priority of candidates whose MELD scores are felt to underestimate their true medical urgency. We determined whether NSEs accurately depict pretransplant mortality risk by performing mixed-effects Cox proportional hazards models and estimating concordance indices. We also studied the change in frequency of NSEs after the National Liver Review Board’s implementation in May 2019. Between June 2016 and April 2022, 60,322 adult candidates were listed, of whom 10,280 (17.0%) received an NSE at least once. The mean allocation MELD was 23.9, an increase of 12.0 points from the mean laboratory MELD of 11.9 (P < .001). A 1-point increase in allocation MELD score due to an NSE was associated with, on average, a 2% reduction in hazard of pretransplant death (cause-specific hazard ratio: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96, 1.00; P = .02) compared with those with the same laboratory MELD. Laboratory MELD was more accurate than allocation MELD with NSEs in rank-ordering candidates (c-index: 0.889 vs 0.857). The proportion of candidates with NSEs decreased significantly after the National Liver Review Board from 21.5% to 12.8% (P < .001). NSEs substantially increase the waitlist priority of candidates with objectively low medical urgency.

Risk evaluation and recipient selection in adult liver transplantation: A mixed-methods survey

Background: Liver transplant (LT) is the definitive treatment for end-stage liver disease. Limited resources and important post-operative implications for recipients compel judicious risk stratification and patient selection. However, little is known about the factors influencing physicians’ assessment regarding patient selection for LT and risk evaluation. Methods: We conducted a mixed-methods, cross-sectional survey involving Canadian hepatologists, anesthesiologists, LT surgeons, and French anesthesiologists. The survey contained quantitative questions and a vignette-based qualitative substudy about risk assessment and patient selection for LT. Descriptive statistics and qualitative content analyses were used. Results: We obtained answers from 129 physicians, and 63 participated in the qualitative substudy. We observed considerable variability in risk assessment prior to LT and identified many factors perceived to increase the risk of complications. Clinicians reported that the acceptable incidence of at least 1 severe post-operative complication for a LT program was 20% (95% CI: 20-30%). They identified the presence of any comorbidity as increasing the risk of different post-operative complications, especially acute kidney injury and cardiovascular complications. Frailty and functional disorders, severity of the liver disease, renal failure and cardiovascular comorbidities prior to LT emerged as important risk factors for post-operative morbidity. Most respondents were willing to pursue LT in patients with grade III acute-on-chronic liver failure but were less often willing to do so when faced with the uncertainty of a clinical example. Conclusions: Clinicians had a heterogeneous appraisal of the post-operative risk of complications following LT, as well as factors considered in risk assessment.

Efficacy of Self-Expandable Absorbable Stents during Liver Transplant to Minimize Early Biliary Complications.

We analyzed the use of a self-expandable absorbable biliary stent (SEABS) to reduce biliary complications in liver transplant (LT). Complications related to biliary anastomosis are a still a challenge in LT with a high impact on the patient outcomes and hospital costs. This non-randomized prospective study was conducted between July 2019 and September 2023 in adult LT patients with duct-to-duct biliary anastomoses. The primary endpoint was to assess early biliary complications at 90 days in LT patients with intraoperative SEABS versus no SEABS. We also compared overall biliary complications, costs and SEABS- adverse effects related. A total of 158 patients were included, 78 with SEABS and 80 no-SEABS (22 T-tube and 58 no-stent). There were no adverse effects related to SEABS. Early biliary complications (23.8 vs 2.6%, P <0.001) and hospital stay (19 vs 15 days, P= 0.001) were higher in no-SEABS. No-SEABS group required 63 ERCPs and 13 surgeries (including 2 LT) versus 35 ERCPs and 2 surgeries in SEABS group. After PSM between SEABS (n=58) vs no-SEABS (n=58), early biliary complications (40% vs 0%, P<.001) were higher in no-SEABS group. T-tube had more early biliary complications (22.7% vs 5%, P=0.23) compared SEABS high-risk biliary anastomosis. SEABS excess cost per patient was lower compared to T-Tube and no-stent (6.988€ vs 17.992€ vs 36.364€, P=0.036 and P=0.002, respectively). SEABS during biliary anastomosis in LT is feasible with no adverse effects and avoid the T-tube in high-risk biliary anastomoses. It use has been associated with less early biliary complications, hospital costs and reoperations or interventional treatments for biliary complications resolution.

Artificial Intelligence in Pediatric Liver Transplantation: Opportunities and Challenges of a New Era.

Historically, pediatric liver transplantation has achieved significant milestones, yet recent innovations have predominantly occurred in adult liver transplantation due to higher caseloads and ethical barriers in pediatric studies. Emerging methods subsumed under the term artificial intelligence offer the potential to revolutionize data analysis in pediatric liver transplantation by handling complex datasets without the need for interventional studies, making them particularly suitable for pediatric research. This review provides an overview of artificial intelligence applications in pediatric liver transplantation. Despite some promising early results, artificial intelligence is still in its infancy in the field of pediatric liver transplantation, and its clinical implementation faces several challenges. These include the need for high-quality, large-scale data and ensuring the interpretability and transparency of machine and deep learning models. Ethical considerations, such as data privacy and the potential for bias, must also be addressed. Future directions for artificial intelligence in pediatric liver transplantation include improving donor-recipient matching, managing long-term complications, and integrating diverse data sources to enhance predictive accuracy. Moreover, multicenter collaborations and prospective studies are essential for validating artificial intelligence models and ensuring their generalizability. If successfully integrated, artificial intelligence could lead to substantial improvements in patient outcomes, bringing pediatric liver transplantation again to the forefront of innovation in the transplantation community.

Primary Team Versus Local Recovery in Liver Transplantation in the Modern Era: A National Analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing Database.

The implementation of acuity circles (AC) in 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic increased the use of local surgeons to recover livers for transplant; however, the impact on liver transplant (LT) outcomes is unknown. Deceased donor adult LT recipients from the UNOS database were identified. Recipients were grouped by donor surgeon: local versus primary recovery. Patient and graft survival as well as trends in local recovery in the 2 years pre-AC and post-AC were assessed. The utilization of local recovery in LT increased from 22.3% to 37.9% post-AC (p<0.01). LTs with local recovery had longer cold ischemia times (6.5 h [5.4-7.8] vs. 5.3 h [4.4-6.5], p<0.01) and traveled further (210 miles [89-373] vs. 73 miles [11-196], p<0.01) than those using primary recovery. Multivariate analyses revealed no differences in patient or graft survival between local and primary recovery, and between OPO and local surgeon. There was no difference in survival when comparing simultaneous liver-kidney, donation after circulatory death, MELD ≥ 30, or redo-LT by recovery team. Recovery and utilization rates were also noted to be higher post-AC (51.4%vs. 48.6% pre-AC, p<0.01) as well as when OPO surgeons recovered the allografts (72.5%vs. 66.0%, p<0.01). Nearly 40% of LTs are performed using local recovery, and utilization rates and trends continue to change with changing organ-sharing paradigms such as AC. This practice appears safe with outcomes similar to recovery by the primary team in appropriately selected recipients and may lead to increased access and the ability to transplant more livers.

Graft Steatosis and Donor Diabetes Mellitus Additively Impact on Recipient Outcomes After Liver Transplantation-A European Registry Study.

Biopsy-proven severe graft steatosis is associated with adverse outcomes after liver transplantation. The concomitant presence of metabolic risk factors might further increase this risk. We studied the association between graft steatosis and metabolic risk factors in the donor, with recipient outcomes after liver transplantation. We analyzed data from all consecutive first adult full-graft donation after brain death (DBD) liver transplantations performed in the Eurotransplant region between 2010 and 2020. The presence of graft steatosis and metabolic risk factors was assessed through a review of donor (imaging) reports, and associations with recipient retransplantation-free survival were studied through survival analyses. Of 12174 transplantations, graft steatosis was detected in 2689 (22.1%), and donor diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, and dyslipidemia were present in 1245 (10.2%), 5056 (41.5%), and 524 (4.3%). In multivariable Cox regression analysis, graft steatosis (adjusted HR [aHR] 1.197, p<0.001) and donor DM (aHR 1.157, p=0.004) were independently associated with impaired retransplantation-free survival. Graft steatosis and donor DM conferred an additive risk of retransplantation or death (DM alone, aHR: 1.156 [p=0.0185]; steatosis alone, aHR: 1.200 [p<0.001]; both steatosis and DM, aHR: 1.381 [p<0.001]). Findings were consistent in sensitivity analyses focusing on retransplantation-free survival within 7 days. Graft steatosis and donor diabetes mellitus additively increase the risk of retransplantation or death in adult DBD liver transplantation. Future studies should focus on methods to assess and improve the quality of these high-risk grafts. Until such time, caution should be exercised when considering these grafts for transplantation.

Adult provider role in transition of care for young adult pediatric recipients of liver transplant: An expert position statement.

Health care transition (HCT) is the process of changing from a pediatric to an adult model of care. Young adult pediatric recipients of liver transplant transferring from pediatric to adult health care services are highly vulnerable and subject to poor long-term outcomes. Barriers to successful transition are multifaceted. A comprehensive HCT program should be initiated early in pediatrics and continued throughout young adulthood, even after transfer of care has been completed. It is critical that pediatric and adult liver transplant providers establish a partnership to optimize care for these patients. Adult providers must recognize the importance of HCT and the need to continue the transition process following transfer. While this continued focus on HCT is essential, current literature has primarily offered guidance for pediatric providers. This position paper outlines a framework with a sample set of tools for the implementation of a standardized, multidisciplinary approach to HCT for adult transplant providers utilizing "The Six Core Elements of HCT." To implement more effective strategies and work to improve long-term outcomes for young adult patients undergoing liver transplant, HCT must be mandated as a routine part of posttransplant care. Increased advocacy efforts with the additional backing and support of governing organizations are required to help facilitate these practices.

Hypomagnesaemia, an independent risk factor for the development of post-transplant diabetes mellitus in liver and renal transplant recipients? A systematic review.

Post-transplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is common after solid organ transplantation. In the past decade, there has been increasing interest in the association between hypomagnesaemia and the development of PTDM. This systematic review aimed to investigate the current knowledge regarding the association between hypomagnesaemia and PTDM in adult liver and renal transplant recipients. A literature search of five databases, Medline, Embase, ProQuest, Scopus and Google Scholar, as well as article reference lists, was performed. Eligible studies that focused on adult liver and renal transplant recipients without pretransplantation hyperglycaemia or diabetes were included. Other eligibility criteria included quantitative studies which reported magnesium concentrations, studies with at least 6 months of follow-up, and studies published in English. The Newcastle-Ottawa Assessment Tool was used for the quality assessment. In total, 12 studies were included in the final analysis. Eleven focused on renal transplantation and one on liver transplantation. All studies were medium to high quality with eight out of 12 achieving the highest rating of nine. Eight studies found a negative association between either pretransplant or early post-transplant serum magnesium concentration and the risk of PTDM, three studies found no association between these two variables, and one study found a positive association between the magnesium concentration at 8 weeks after transplantation and glycosylated haemoglobin A1C. Further large-scale prospective studies with at least 6 months of follow-up are needed to confirm these findings, particularly in liver transplantation, to further clarify and explore the relationship between hypomagnesaemia and PTDM.