Angirekula, Mounika

AbstractBackground: Liver transplant (LT) recipients with untreated hepatitis C (HCV) are at risk for cirrhosis graft failure. The advent of direct acting antiviral agents (DAA) has improved outcomes in HCV.Aims: We aim to examine liver transplant outcomes and allograft fibrosis development/progression after sustained virologic response (SVR).Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 226 consecutive liver transplant recipients with HCV from 2007 to 2018. The cohort was split into transplants pre (Group A) and post (Group B) 2014 to reflect the introduction of DAAs. Fibrosis was monitored with liver biopsy and non‐invasive imaging.Results: Group B had significantly improved HCV treatment rates and earlier SVR compared to Group A, with a cumulative incidence rate of SVR at 2 years of 86.7% versus 15.4% (HR = .11, p < .001). Prior to achieving SVR, Group A demonstrated worsening of fibrosis stage per year (+.21, p < .001) whereas Group B showed minimal change on protocol annual biopsy (−.02, p = .80). After SVR, most patients were followed non‐invasively and demonstrated stable or improved fibrosis stage over time. Patients undergoing transient elastography showed regression in fibrosis stage per year (−.19, p < .001).Conclusion: HCV patients undergoing LT after 2014 had higher rates of SVR and improved clinically relevant transplant outcomes, namely less graft loss and death relating to HCV. Fibrosis progression halted or improved after SVR in both cohorts, suggesting that LT recipients with SVR do not require fibrosis monitoring even with established fibrosis prior to SVR.

Background: The morphologic distinction between thymic carcinomas and thymomas, specifically types B3, A, and occasionally micronodular thymomas with lymphoid stroma (MNTLS) can be challenging, as has also been shown in interobserver reproducibility studies. Since thymic carcinomas have a worse prognosis than thymomas, the diagnosis is important for patient management and treatment. This study aimed to identify a panel of immunohistochemical (IHC) markers that aid in the distinction between thymomas and thymic carcinomas in routine practice. Materials and Method: Thymic carcinomas, type A and B3 thymomas, and MNTLS were identified in an institutional database of thymic epithelial tumors (TET) (1963–2021). IHC was performed using antibodies against TdT, Glut-1, CD5, CD117, BAP1, and mTAP. Percent tumor cell staining was recorded (Glut-1, CD5, CD117); loss of expression (BAP1, mTAP) was considered if essentially all tumor cells were negative; TdT was recorded as thymocytes present or absent (including rare thymocytes). Results: 81 specimens included 44 thymomas (25 type A, 11 type B3, 8 MNTLS) and 37 thymic carcinomas (including 24 squamous cell carcinomas). Using BAP1, mTAP, CD117 (cut-off, 10%), and TdT, 88.9% of thymic carcinomas (95.7% of squamous cell carcinomas) and 77.8% of thymomas could be predicted. Glut-1 expression was not found to be useful in that distinction. All tumors that expressed CD5 in ≥50% of tumor cells also expressed CD117 in ≥10% of tumor cells. In four carcinomas with homozygous deletion of CDKN2A, mTAP expression was lost in two squamous cell carcinomas and in a subset of tumor cells of an adenocarcinoma and was preserved in a lymphoepithelial carcinoma. Conclusion: A panel of immunostains including BAP1, mTAP, CD117 (using a cut-off of 10% tumor cell expression), and TdT can be useful in the distinction between thymomas and thymic carcinomas, with only a minority of cases being inconclusive.

The diagnostic criteria for cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (CCM) were recently revised to reflect the contemporary advancements in echocardiographic technology. This study evaluates the prevalence of CCM, according to the new criteria, and its impact on posttransplant cardiovascular disease (CVD). This is a single‐center retrospective matched cohort study of liver transplantation (LT) recipients who underwent LT between January 1, 2008 and November 30, 2017. A total of 3 cohorts with decompensated cirrhosis (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, alcohol‐related liver disease, or other etiologies) were matched based on age, sex, and year of transplant after excluding patients listed without evidence of hepatic decompensation. CCM was defined, according to 2020 criteria, as having diastolic dysfunction, left ventricular ejection fraction ≤50%, and/or a global longitudinal strain (GLS) absolute value <18%. The study echocardiographers were blinded to the clinical data. Posttransplant CVD included new coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, atrial and ventricular arrhythmia, and stroke. The study included 141 patients of whom 59 were women. The mean age at LT was 57.8 (±7.6) years. A total of 49 patients (34.8%) had CCM. Patients with CCM were at an increased risk for post‐LT CVD (hazard ratio, 2.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.2‐5.5; P = 0.016). Changes in CCM individual parameters pretransplant, such as GLS, early diastolic transmitral flow to early diastolic mitral annular velocity, and left atrial volume index were associated with an increased risk for posttransplant CVD. CCM, defined by the new diagnostic criteria, affects approximately one‐third of decompensated LT candidates. CCM predicts an increased risk for new CVD following LT. Studies into addressing and follow‐up to mitigate these risks are needed.

Abstract Background Obesity is commonly observed in patients with cirrhosis, especially with the increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Bariatric surgery has been avoided in these patients given concerns about increased perioperative risk; therefore, data are lacking regarding long-term outcomes. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of patients with cirrhosis who underwent bariatric surgery. Methods We reviewed the charts of adult patients with compensated cirrhosis who underwent bariatric surgery after they were prospectively enrolled between February 23, 2009 and November 9, 2011, and followed in a pilot study for evaluation of bariatric surgery outcomes. Only patients with more than 4 years of follow-up were included in the analysis. Data regarding their liver disease, metabolic status, and survival were collected. A descriptive analysis was performed. Results The cohort consisted of 10 patients, of whom 7 were females. The median post-surgical follow-up was 8.7 years (± 1.4 years). All patients had biopsy-proven NASH; two patients had concurrent, untreated hepatitis C infection. During the observation period, there was a mean weight loss of 24 kg (19.2% of total body weight pre surgery, P &lt; 0.001) and only one patient regained weight to the baseline pre-surgical measurement. One patient who was not eligible for transplant developed hepatic encephalopathy 3 years after surgery and later died. The remainder of the patients did not have any hepatic decompensation, cardiovascular event, or mortality. Except for one patient with Gilbert syndrome, bilirubin was normal in all patients at last follow-up. Conclusions Bariatric surgery in patients with compensated cirrhosis can lead to sustained weight loss and stable hepatic function on long-term follow-up.