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Immunosuppressive therapy greatly contributed to making liver transplantation the standard treatment for end-stage liver diseases. However, it remains difficult to predict and measure the efficacy of pharmacological immunosuppression. Therefore, we used a panel of standardized, commonly available, biomarkers with the aim to describe their changes in the first 3 weeks after the transplant procedure and assess if they may help therapeutic drug monitoring in better tailoring the dose of the immunosuppressive drugs. We prospectively studied 72 consecutive patients from the day of liver transplant (post-operative day #0) until the post-operative day #21. Leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes (CD4+, CD8+), natural killer cells, monocytes, immunoglobulins and tacrolimus serum levels were measured on peripheral blood (at day 0, 3, 7, 14, 21 after surgery). Patients who developed infections showed significantly higher CD64+ monocytes on post operative day #7. IgG levels were lower on post operative day #3 among patients who later developed infections. We also found that a sharp decrease in IgA from post operative day #0 to 3 (-226 mg/dL in the ROC curve analysis) strongly correlates with the onset of infections among HCV- patients. No specific markers of rejection emerged from the tested panel of markers. Our results show that some early changes in peripheral blood white cells and immunoglobulins may predict the onset of infections and may be useful in modulating the immunosuppressive therapy. However, a panel of commonly available, standardized biomarkers do not support in improving therapeutic drug monitoring ability to individualize immunosuppressive drugs dosing., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

A case of post-transplant malaria is described. The patient presented fever and severe anemia after orthotopic liver transplantation. Diagnosis was made only after the review of donor characteristics. Although a high parasitemia was found at the moment of diagnosis, the treatment with quinine and doxycycline was successful. Donor epidemiology should always be considered for a prompt diagnosis of rare tropical diseases in the graft recipients., (Copyright 2006 AASLD)

Background: The incidence and clinical relevance of increased intraabdominal pressure after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) has not yet been evaluated despite the finding that occurrence of this condition in postsurgical critically ill patients may impair various organ functions. The aim of this study was to assess whether the occurrence of abdominal hypertension among a population of OLT recipients was an important cofactor producing early postoperative complications., Method: This prospective clinical study measured abdominal pressure every 6 hours during the intensive care unit (ICU) stay using the urinary bladder method. A value of >/=25 mm Hg was considered high. Hemodynamic status was simultaneously evaluated and renal function assessed based on the hourly urinary output, and by calculating serum creatinine on postoperative days 2 and 4. Renal failure was defined as a serum creatinine level of >1.5 mg/dL, or an increase in peak of >1 mg/L within 72 hours of surgery. The filtration gradient and patient outcomes were also considered., Results: Intraabdominal hypertension was observed in 32% of cases. The subjects displaying high IAP showed significantly lower artery pressure values (P <.01), but did not differ in terms of central venous pressure or cardiac output. High intraabdominal pressure was more frequently associated with renal failure (P <.01), a lower filtration gradient (P <.001), delayed postsurgical weaning from the ventilation (P <.001), and increased ICU mortality (P <.05). A receiver operator characteristic curve analysis showed that the critical IAP values, namely those with the best sensitivity/specificity, were 23 mm Hg for postoperative ventilatory delayed weaning (P <.05), 24 mm Hg for renal dysfunction (P <.05), and 25 mm Hg for death (P <.01)., Conclusions: Abdominal hypertension occurs frequently after OLT and may be associated with a complicated postoperative course.

Hypothesis: Intra-abdominal hypertension frequently threatens renal function early after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT)., Design: A prospective study of consecutive patients who underwent OLT., Setting: The intensive care unit of a National Health Service teaching hospital., Patients and Main Outcome Measures: The intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) of 108 consecutive patients who underwent OLT was postoperatively measured 3 times a day for 72 hours using the urinary bladder technique. Intra-abdominal hypertension was defined as an IAP of 25 mm Hg or higher., Results: Thirty-four patients (31%) had a high IAP. Acute renal failure developed in 17 recipients (16%), 11 (65%) of whom had intra-abdominal hypertension (P<.01), with a mean +/- SD IAP of 27.9 +/- 9.9 mm Hg vs 18.6 +/- 5.2 mm Hg in those without acute renal failure (P<.001). The subjects with a high IAP were more frequently administered loop diuretics to maintain adequate diuresis (P<.001) and had a low mean arterial pressure on the day of surgery (P<.01), despite the fact that they were given more intravenous fluids (P<.01) and did not differ in the need for inotropic drugs. Logistic regression analysis showed that intraoperative transfusions of more than 15 U, respiratory failure, and intra-abdominal hypertension (P<.01) were independent risk factors for renal failure. The length of intensive care unit stay was similar in the patients with a normal and a high IAP, but mortality was higher among the latter (P =.02)., Conclusions: Intra-abdominal hypertension is common after OLT and is significantly associated with renal failure, reduced urinary output, and intensive care unit mortality. It is, therefore, worth monitoring IAP in those undergoing OLT.

Objective: No data are available on the incidence and clinical relevance of increased intra-abdominal pressure after orthotopic liver transplantation. This study assessed abdominal hypertension in a population of transplanted patients as this may be an important cofactor in early postoperative complications., Design and Setting: Prospective clinical study in an intensive care unit of a national health system teaching hospital, Patients and Measurements: Abdominal pressure was measured every 6 h using the urinary bladder method and was considered elevated when it was 25 mmHg or higher. Hemodynamic status was evaluated at the same times. Renal function was assessed on the basis of hourly urinary output by calculating serum creatinine on postoperative days 2 and 4 and the filtration gradient; patient outcomes were also considered., Results: Intra-abdominal hypertension was observed in 32% of cases; the subjects with high abdominal pressure had significantly lower mean artery pressure values but did not differ in terms of central venous pressure or cardiac output. High intra-abdominal pressure was more frequently associated with renal failure, a lower filtration gradient, delayed postsurgical weaning from ventilation, and a worse outcome., Conclusions: Abdominal hypertension is frequent after liver transplantation and may be associated with a complicated post-operative course.