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Introduction. Hepatocellular cancer is the most frequent primary malignant neoplasm of the liver, developing against the background of viral hepatitis, alcohol abuse, metabolic disorders, cirrhosis. Most often hepatocellular cancer is diagnosed at late stages of the disease, when patients are no longer subject to specific treatment. The priority method of treatment of early stages remains surgical. In the absence of cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis the best option is liver resection, in other cases orthotopic liver transplantation is performed. However, when hepatocellular cancer is diagnosed, most patients fall outside the Milan criteria, and the bridge to orthotopic liver transplantation is down-stage therapy. Bridge therapy is used to treat hepatocellular cancer while awaiting liver transplantation and aims to prevent stage progression. The probability of progression of hepatocellular cancer after orthotopic liver transplantation within the first two years is about 75% and about 10% is detected after the fourth year. Progression of hepatocellular cancer remains the main factor limiting the life expectancy of patients after orthotopic liver transplantation.The aim of the study: to evaluate the results of antitumor treatment of patients with hepatocellular cancer progression after liver transplantation.Materials and methods. We evaluated the results of treatment of 50 patients with hepatocellular cancer progression after orthotopic liver transplantation, who were treated on the basis of FGBU NMI Center of Oncology named after N.N. Blokhin. N.N. Blokhin Oncology Center in the period from 2009 to 2020. We analyzed and evaluated overall and recurrence-free survival depending on the bridge therapy, type of treatment, presence of vascular invasion and portal vein thrombosis.Results. According to the results of bridge therapy, hepatocellular cancer stage progression was observed in 9 patients, stabilization - in 17 patients, partial/complete response – in 9 patients. The median recurrence-free survival of patients who received bridge therapy and down-stage therapy was 23.6 months; among patients who did not, it was 35.6 months. The median overall survival with surgical treatment was 79.8 months, whereas with radiation therapy it was 17.2 months. Conclusions. In the studied group of patients the treatment was tolerated satisfactorily. Optimization of immunosuppression protocol and modification of dose regimens of systemic therapy is considered as a condition for treatment, which leads to improvement of long-term treatment results (overall and relapse-free survival).

Background. The terminal stages of chronic hepatitis C remain the main indication for liver transplantation in Russia and in the world.Aim. To retrospectively evaluate the changes in the waiting list of liver transplantation that occurred during 22 years of work of the Department for Liver Transplantation at N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine in relation to patients with anti-HCV+; and to study the survival rate of anti-HCV+ after liver transplantation, and peculiarities of the course of recurrent HCV infection and virological outcomes of modern antiviral therapy.Material and methods. We analyzed the results of anti-HCV+ liver transplantations from a deceased donors (n=400) operated in the Department for Liver Transplantation at N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine for 22 years. Changes in the Waiting List structure, recipient survival and antiviral therapy efficacy were studied.Results. The proportion of anti-HCV+ recipients decreased from 44.3% (period from 2007 to 2019) to 34.1% (from 2020 to 2022, p=0.0027). Survival of anti-HCV+ recipients without HCC is currently comparable to survival of non-infectious non-HCC recipients. The 5-year survival of anti-HCV+ recipients without HCC at the time of liver transplantation was 84%, and the 10-year survival was 76%. The 3and 5-year survival rates of recipients without HCC at the time of liver transplantation who had surgery before August 2016 were lower (80% and 77%, respectively) than the 3and 5-year survival rates (91%) of liver transplant recipients operated on later than this date (p=0.01). Before August 2016, recurrence of HCV infection occurred in > 90% of anti-HCV+ recipients with known HCV RNA status after liver transplantation. Spontaneous clearance of HCV RNA after liver transplantation was observed in 2.1% of cases. In recent years, the incidence of recurrent HCV infection after liver transplantation has decreased significantly (~25% in 2021–22). The use of modern direct acting antiviral regimens results in >95% viral eradication after the 1st course. The emergence of drug resistance polymorphisms in patients who have had unsuccessful experience of direct acting antiviral before liver transplantation is not an obstacle to the success of direct acting antiviral treatment after liver transplantation.Conclusion. The possibility of a rapid and safe cure for HCV infection against the backdrop of a shortage of donor organs necessitates a revision of the documents regulating organ donation, which should make organs from donors with antiHCV in the blood available for transplantation.

The work is devoted to the analysis of modern literature data and approaches in performing repeated liver transplantation. The most frequent causes of liver graft loss are PNFT, HAT, recurrent initial disease and chronic rejection. The leading indication for retransplantation in children is HAT. The one-year survival rate after retransplantation is approximately 75%. Reducing the cost of organ retransplantation and the cost-effectiveness of the procedure are controversial issues. Mathematical modeling has identified several significant recipient and donor factors affecting the outcomes of retransplantation. Despite ethical and economic considerations, retransplantation is the only option for transplant patients whose grafts have failed to engraft. The decision to retransplant should be made with some caution, with full multi-type approach in large multidisciplinary transplant centers.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, accounting for more than 800,000 deaths annually. Surgical removal of the neoplasm remains the most effective treatment option. Partial liver resection is an adequate solution for patients without cirrhosis or with well-compensated cirrhosis, orthotopic liver transplantation is necessary in patients with early stage HCC on the background of cirrhosis. Tumor recurrence remains a major limitation of long-term survival of patients after liver transplantation. Posttransplant immunosuppression reduces the body's antitumor defense, which is provided by natural immunity. This contributes to the development and progression of the tumor process. Purpose of the study: to analyze domestic and foreign publications that present treatment options for HCC recurrence after liver transplantation. Literature sources were searched in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE, eLibrary databases. The search was conducted in Russian and English by keywords: hepatocellular carcinoma, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, therapy of HCC relapse, orthotopic liver transplantation, RETREAT index, regorafenib, nivolumab. The authors presented a review of the data on the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors to prevent HCC recurrence. The results of the analysis of literature sources showed that the issue of post-transplant immunosuppression is relevant. The large number of studies and clinical case reviews leaves hope that an effective way of immunosuppression for recurrent HCC patients after liver transplantation will soon be found.

Introduction. The shortage of donor organs has been and remains the basic problem of clinical transplantation and the expansion of the organ pool by using marginal donor organs has become one of its solutions. In this regard, every decision to use a "non-standard" or "non ideal" organ for transplantation should be made carefully.Aim. Demonstration of successful liver transplantation from a donor with brain death and occlusive thrombosis of the splanchnic venous system.Description. A 34-year-old donor without serious concomitant pathology was diagnosed with total portal thrombosis during liver procurement. After cold aortic perfusion, a thrombectomy from the portal vein was performed. At the “backtable” stage, an additional perfusion was made through the portal vein, the results of which confirmed the patency of the portal system. The liver graft was transplanted to a 33-year-old recipient; the postoperative period was uneventful, the patient was discharged on the 17-th postoperative day.Conclusions. Portal vein thrombosis in a donor liver is rare. A positive decision on liver transplantation from a donor with portal vein thrombosis should be based on the confirmed patency of the portal system. It is desirable that these data be supplemented by a histological examination of the donor liver. The donor organs shortage needs to expand the criteria for post-mortem organ donation. However, every decision should be made in the light of individual characteristics of the donor-recipient pair.

Fulminant liver failure is usually characterized as severe acute liver injury with encephalopathy and synthetic dysfunction (international normalized ratio [INR] ≥1.5) in a patient without cirrhosis or previous liver disease. Management of patients with acute liver failure includes ensuring that the patient is cared for appropriately, monitoring for worsening liver failure, managing complications, and providing nutritional support. Patients with acute liver failure should be treated at a liver transplant center whenever possible. Serial laboratory tests are used to monitor the course of a patient's liver failure and to monitor for complications. It is necessary to monitor the level of aminotransferases and bilirubin in serum daily. More frequent monitoring (three to four times a day) of blood coagulation parameters, complete blood count, metabolic panels, and arterial blood gases should be performed. For some causes of acute liver failure, such as acetaminophen intoxication, treatment directed at the underlying cause may prevent the need for liver transplantation and reduce mortality. Lactulose has not been shown to improve overall outcomes, and it can lead to intestinal distention, which can lead to technical difficulties during liver transplantation. Early in acute liver failure, signs and symptoms of cerebral edema may be absent or difficult to detect. Complications of cerebral edema include increased intracranial pressure and herniation of the brain stem. General measures to prevent increased intracranial pressure include minimizing stimulation, maintaining an appropriate fluid balance, and elevating the head of the patient's bed. For patients at high risk of developing cerebral edema, we also offer hypertonic saline prophylaxis (3%) with a target serum sodium level of 145 to 155 mEq/L (level 2C). High-risk patients include patients with grade IV encephalopathy, high ammonia levels (>150 µmol/L), or acute renal failure, and patients requiring vasopressor support. Approximately 40 % of patients with acute liver failure recover spontaneously with supportive care. Predictive models have been developed to help identify patients who are unlikely to recover spontaneously, as the decision to undergo liver transplant depends in part on the likelihood of spontaneous recovery of the liver. However, among those who receive a transplant, the one-year survival rate exceeds 80 %, making this treatment the treatment of choice in this difficult patient population.

The article presents the results of liver transplantation in five HIV-infected recipients with irreversible liver damage. It is shown that four of them survived in the long-term period and are observed in a stable condition, and the only death in the recipient was not related to the HIV infection. The experience in the treatment of these patients was summarized. Analysis of the first results of liver transplantation in HIV-infection in Russia shows its validity and clinical efficacy. The only lethal case is connected with the initial extremely grave condition of the recipient and his age. Two cases of surgical traumatism, lack of consistent vaccination in the preoperative period, as well as lack of patients with hepatocellular cancer, small number of observations are obvious drawbacks of our first experience and should be corrected in the future. The success of a complex and multidisciplinary program of organ transplantation in HIV infection is impossible without participation of HIV-infectionists in the transplantation team.

Background. The recurrence of autoimmune liver diseases can lead to reduced survival of recipients and grafts.Aim. To study the incidence and impact of the recurrence of autoimmune liver diseases on graft survival; the effect of maintenance immunosuppression on the recurrence of autoimmune diseases in liver transplant recipientsMaterial and methods. Transplantation outcomes in 111 recipients (21 recipients operated on for autoimmune hepatitis, 50 recipients operated on for primary biliary cirrhosis, and 40 recipients operated on for primary sclerosing cholangitis) were analyzed retrospectively.Results. The recurrence of autoimmune hepatitis is observed in 5%, the recurrence of primary biliary cirrhosis is in 10%, and the recurrence of primary sclerosing cholangitis is in 17% of cases. Among patients with recurrence of autoimmune diseases, men accounted for 54%, while for only 31% in the subgroup of patients without relapse (p=0.004). The followup for recipients with relapse (64.5 (42.8;82.0) months) was comparable to the follow-up for recipients without relapse (46.5 (17.9;103.5) months, p=0.54). A ten-year graft survival was significantly higher in the group of recipients with recurrent autoimmune diseases compared with recipients without autoimmune diseases recurrence (p

Introduction. Orthotopic liver transplantation is the most radical method of treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. The high recurrence rate limits the use of transplantation in patients with hepatocellular cancer. Immunosuppressive therapy may affect the frequency of oncoprogression after liver transplantationAim. To evaluate the role of immunosuppressive therapy in the postoperative progression of hepatocellular cancer in patients after liver transplantationMaterial and methods. The recurrence rate of hepatocellular cancer and tumor free survival in 104 patients after liver transplantation were analyzed. To evaluate the effect of the immunosuppression main component concentration on the postoperative progression of hepatocellular carcinoma, we studied the mean baseline concentration (C0) for the entire follow-up period for patients with a tumor-free period and the mean baseline concentration for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma progression, in whom only the duration of the tumor-free period was studied. According to the degree of tumor lesion, patients were distributed in accordance with the Milan criteria (based on the results of a pathologic and morphological examination of the recipient's explanted liver.Results. The values of the baseline blood level of tacrolimus>6.0 ng/ml and cyclosporine A>100 ng/ml is associated with a high rate of progression of hepatocellular cancer. Reducing the load of calcineurin inhibitors can reduce the incidence of cancer progression by at least 2 times. The values of 1-, 3- and 5-year relapse-free survival in patients with advanced cancer and low figures of the baseline blood level of calcineurin inhibitor are 82%, 70% and 70%, respectively.Conclusion. Minimization of immunosuppression is of crucial importance in the prevention of posttransplant progression of hepatocellular cancer, especially among patients with its common form.

Introduction. The lifelong use of calcineurin inhibitors in liver transplant recipients leads to an increased incidence of chronic kidney disease.Objective. To compare the changes in glomerular filtration rate over five years in liver transplant recipients between those on everolimus with a reduced exposure to calcineurin inhibitors and those on standard doses of calcineurin inhibitors.Material and methods. Fourteen liver transplant recipient switched to everolimus with a minimization of calcineurin inhibitors exposure in the first months after liver transplantation from February 2009 to February 2015 who had received that therapy continuously for at least 60 months were included in the case-control study. Twenty eight liver transplant recipients (matched by sex, etiology of the underlying disease, calcineurin inhibitors) who were followed-up for at least 60 months after liver transplantation, who had received no dose of everolimus, in whom the glomerular filtration rate could be calculated at all points of analysis were selected as a comparison group (1:2). Glomerular filtration rate was calculated immediately before liver transplantation; 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months after liver transplantation. The glomerular filtration rate after liver transplantation was also calculated for liver transplant recipients from the main group immediately before the conversion to everolimus.Results. Before liver transplantation, the median of glomerular filtration rate in the main group of liver transplant recipients was lower (81.2 ml/min) than in the comparison group (97.5 ml/min, p=0.01). After liver transplantation, the renal function worsened in both groups of patients. In a pairwise comparison, the medians of glomerular filtration rate were statistically significantly lower after 12 months, 24 months, 36 months, 48 months after liver transplantation, than before liver transplantation. The median of glomerular filtration rate at the time of immunosuppression conversion was 44.3 ml/min. After the conversion of immunosuppression, the median of glomerular filtration rate gradually increased, and after 36 months the differences in glomerular filtration rate reached statistical significance compared with the level before conversion (69.4 ml/min;p=0.048). These differences still increased after 60 months after conversion (72.3 ml/min; p=0.041).Conclusion. Long-term administration of everolimus with minimization of calcineurin inhibitors exposure with the early conversion to this immunosuppression regime provides a steady improvement in renal function in liver transplant recipients with a low glomerular filtration rate in the preoperative and early post-transplant period.

The implementation of the liver transplantation program at Sklifosovsky Institute of Emergency Medicine has a long history. Over the last 20 years, more than 700 patients have received high-tech medical care (transplantation) here.

Situs inversus is a rare mirror transposition of internal organs relative to the median plane. Liver transplantation in situs inversus is a serious medical challenge imposed by an abnormal arrangement of the recipient's organs.Aim. Clinical description of a successful cadaveric liver transplantation in an adult patient with situs inversus and portal vein thrombosis.Key points. A 32 years-old patient with situs inversus, chronic hepatitis B/D-induced liver cirrhosis and portal vein thrombosis had cadaveric liver transplantation, with the transplant reoriented in abdominal cavity 90° clockwise relative to the median plane. End-to-side cavocaval anastomosis was formed between the donor's retrohepatic and the recipient's main inferior vena cava, with successive portal and arterial anastomoses and complete donor liver reperfusion. A biliary reconstruction was performed with an end-to-end biliobiliary anastomosis. The surgery duration comprised 5 h 20 min, intraoperative blood loss — 2000 mL, cold ischemia time — 4 h. The patient was discharged on the 10th day after surgery in satisfactory condition.Conclusion. Situs inversus is not a contraindication to liver transplantation.

Aim. To identify trends in the structure of patients with liver diseases, in particular hepatocellular cancer (HCC), by analysing the experience of two specialised medical centres.Materials and methods. A retrospective analysis of the medical records of hepatological patients who sought medical treatment at to the V.Kh. Vasilenko Clinic of Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases, Gastroenterology and Hepatology of the Sechenov University in 2013, 2014 and 2017 (total 2459 patients) was carried out. The number of patients with chronic viral hepatitis (CVH) was 651, with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) — 590, with alcoholic liver disease (ALD) — 66, with autoimmune liver diseases — 416, with liver cirrhosis (LC) of any etiology 407, other liver diseases — 329. A retrospective analysis of the medical records of patients with HCC who were examined and treated at the N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine in the period from 2008 to 2017 (n = 86) was carried out.Results. The ratio of patients with chronic hepatitis C and B in 2013–2017 significantly changed. An almost twofold decrease in the number of patients with chronic hepatitis C (210 patients in 2013 and 141 patients in 2017) and an increase in the number of patients with chronic hepatitis B (20 patients in 2013 and 45 patients in 2017) was observed. An almost twofold increase in the total number of NAFLD patients was detected (163 patients in 2013 and 276 patients in 2017). The number of ALD patients increased from 12 patients in 2013 to 31 patients in 2017. The proportion of patients with autoimmune liver diseases in the overall structure of patients who applied to the department was 20 % in 2013, 13.6 % in 2014 and 10.8 % in 2017. An almost twofold decrease in the number of patients with alcoholic LC and LC associated with HBV was observed (73 patients and 17 patients in 2013 and 38 patients and 6 patients in 2017, respectively) as well as a noticeable increase in the number of patients with alcoholic LC and LC associated with HCV (6 patients and 51 patients in 2013 and 26 patients and 75 patients in 2017, respectively). In the analysis of HCC patients, the ratio of men to women was 3:1 (64 men and 22 women), the median age was 54.5 years (IQR 48–59). The median time from the establishment of chronic liver disease to the detection of HCC was 7.5 years (IQR 3–14.5). In 86 % of cases, the HCC development was preceded by cirrhosis (Child-Pugh A: n = 24; Child-Pugh B: n = 30; Child-Pugh C: n = 20), in 14 % — by chronic hepatitis. Viral liver lesions were the leading cause of HCC in 79 % (n = 68), ALD in 4 % (n = 3), NAFLD in 1 % (n = 1), AIH in 1 % (n = 1). In 10 % (n = 9), a combined liver lesion was observed, in 5 % (n = 4), no previous liver disease was known. The highest five-year survival rate (100 %) was found in the group of patients who received antiviral therapy (AVT) before and after liver transplantation.Conclusions. NAFLD, ALD, and chronic hepatitis B patients began to seek medical help more frequently. An increase in the number of patients with autoimmune LC and LC associated with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was observed. The conducted analysis of trends in the structure of HCC patients showed that chronic HCV and HBV infection is the main prerequisite for the development of cancer. Liver transplantation is the most effective treatment for HCC. AVT before and after liver transplantation allows a statistically significant increase in the five-year posttransplant survival of HCC patients with chronic hepatitis C to be achieved.

Introduction. Recent studies have indicated an increased incidence of thrombotic vascular complications after liver transplantation. The reasons may be associated with surgical technique and “unbalanced” hemostasis in patients with diffuse liver diseases. The imbalance is determined by the deficiency of physiological procoagulants and anticoagulants due to a reduced protein-synthesis function of the liver in chronic hepatocyte injury. At the same time, 90% of all spontaneous antithrombin activity is associated with antithrombin III.Aim. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of using antithrombin III concentrate in liver transplant patients.Material and methods. A retrospective study included 46 patients undergoing liver transplantation who had nonocclusive thrombosis in the portal vein system prior to surgery and postoperative venous or arterial thrombosis.Results. The treatment results were compared between the group with antithrombin III concentrate and the control group in patients with portal vein thrombosis before surgery and postoperative venous or arterial thrombosis; the antithrombin III activity dynamics in the early postoperative period was assessed; the incidence of infectious, and vascular complications and the mortality rates were analyzed.Conclusion. The antithrombin III concentrate administration during liver transplantation and in the postoperative period contributes to a rapid normalization of antithrombin III activity in blood, the decrease in mortality and in the incidence of infectious and thrombotic complication rates.

Objective. The study objective was to assess the scintigraphy potential in the evaluation of portal hypertension and the severity of liver damage in diffuse diseases and after liver transplantation.Material and methods. The study enrolled 325 patients suffering from hepatitis and liver cirrhosis of various etiology and severity, including those after liver transplantation, namely, the patients with hepatitis (n=96), patients with liver cirrhosis of Child–Pugh class A (n=24), class B (n=87), and class C (n=118); 11 more healthy volunteers without clinical and laboratory signs of diffuse liver disease were enrolled as controls. The assessment of liver reticuloendothelial system was performed by scintigraphy with (99m)Tc-phytate colloid in a static planar mode and "whole body" mode by SPECT (Infinia II, GE).Results. In contrast to the control group, significant radionuclide signs of hepatosplenomegaly were revealed with the predominant functional activity of the left lobe; the liver function was found impaired that correlated with the cirrhosis severity evaluated according to the Child–Pugh Сlassification. The analysis of scintigraphy quantitative parameters showed that the most informative of them were the intensity of radiopharmaceutical accumulation in the spleen (S%) and in bone marrow (Вm%), and the radiopharmaceutical uptake by the reticuloendothelial cells of the liver and spleen in percentage from the administered activity (Lwb%, Swb%). Depending on the cirrhosis severity assessed by the Child–Pugh Score, the changes in quantitative parameters were accompanied by a progressive enlargement of the spleen, liver left lobe, the increase of (99m)Tc-phytate uptake by the bone marrow with a decreased radiopharmaceutical uptake by the liver. The study results showed that among the Child–Pugh class C patients, the impairment of liver reticuloendothelial function was more pronounced in the patients with cirrhosis of viral and mixed etiology, when compared to those with alcoholic cirrhosis.Conclusion. The paper has identified the most informative parameters characterizing portal hypertension and the reticuloendothelial function for all Child–Pugh defined classes of cirrhosis. These parameters include the increase of (99m) Tc-phytate accumulation in the spleen (S%) and bone marrow (Bm%); the liver and spleen uptake of the radiopharmaceutical in percentage from the administered activity (Lwb%, Swb%). The calculation of the remaining parameters is necessary for a detailed description of the organ function and for the assessment of the portal hypertension severity in repeated studies.Summary. Criteria for the objective assessment of reticuloendothelial function and portal hypertension in diffuse liver diseases, including after liver transplantation, have been developed. Contrary to the control group, in patients with diffuse liver diseases, the radionuclide signs of hepatosplenomegaly (or a decreased liver size) with a predominant functional activity of the left lobe were identified, as were the changes in the quantitative parameters of the radiopharmaceutical uptake by the liver (Lwb%), including the radiopharmaceutical accumulation in the liver left lobe (Ll%), spleen (Swb%), bone marrow (Bm%), and the liver-to-spleen area ratio (Lar/Sar). The informative and reliable (p

The paper reviews the milestones and prerequisites in the history of the emergence and development of xenotransplantation. The currently existing barriers (immunological, infectious, genetic, ethical, and regulatory) to the development of this organ and tissue transplantation type have been studied. Available data on theoretical research and experimental studies have been reviewed. The prospects for performing xenotransplantation in various combination of species have been assessed. The forms and variants of the xenograft rejection reaction have been described. Genetic engineering approaches to overcoming xenoimmunological incompatibility are described. An assessment is made of ways to overcome existing barriers and prospects for the further development of xenotransplantation as a scientific section of transplantology.

Worldwide, there is a trend towards an increase in the number of patients waiting for liver transplantation, despite an increase in the total number of liver transplantation operations. Solving the problem of donor organ shortage is possible through the use of organs from marginal donors: organs removed after cardiac arrest, organs with a high percentage of steatosis, organs from donors over the age of 60 years. The main reason for refusing to use them is the risk of severe complications and an unfavorable outcome of the operation. Static cold preservation today is the main method of protecting donor organs from thermal damage, which possesses rather effective protective properties. At the same time, the duration of cold preservation has a limited time interval. There is always uncertainty about the viability of the organ. Modern methods for assessing donor organs such as donor history, laboratory data, visual examination and morphology, do not reliably predict liver function after transplantation. In this regard, the development of methods for preserving the organ after removing, which do not degrade the quality of the organ or even are capable of restoring the lost functions, is relevant. The machine perfusion of the liver is one of the new concepts aimed at solving this problem. The article highlights the international experience of using the machine perfusion of the donor liver over the past 15 years. Machine perfusion is a promising trend of transplantation development, which allows reducing the shortage of donor organs and improving their quality.

Aim. The aim of the study is to determine the effectiveness of liver transplantation (LT) in the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurred in normal liver.Material and methods. 6 patients with unresectable HCC underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The long-term OLT results were compared with survival results of liver resection in patients with late stage HCC.Results. Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common types of cancer, which occurs mainly in patients with liver cirrhosis and chronic viral hepatitis. Only about 10 % of HCC develops in non-cirrhotic liver among young and somatically healthy patients. 1-, 3-, 5-year recurrence-free and overall survival in LT group was significantly better than in the control group.Conclusion. LT is indicated for patients with unresectable HCC in non-cirrhotic liver and its extrahepatic localization. A large tumor size and macrovascular invasion should not be a contraindication for LT in such patients.

Orthotopic liver posttransplantation biliary complications are a serious problem. Due to the development of surgical techniques, the incidence of biliary complications has decreased by several times over the 40-year history of liver transplantation, but achieved 10-35% up to the present, by inducing 2-9.6% mortality. The review presents a classification of biliary complications, defines risk factors of their development, a possibility of their prevention, and correction options.

The paper provides a brief overview of the data available in the literature with the discussion of the basic principles of the diagnosis and treatment of a graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR). After orthotopic liver transplantation, the incidence of this complication is 1–3%, mortality is as high as 75%. The paper describes a case of GVHR after liver transplantation, the clinical picture of which shows a preponderance of skin manifestations. Timely diagnosis of this rare complication has allowed the patient to be effectively treated.

The paper gives a clinical example of successful therapy for severe sepsis, the cause of which was methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in a patient undergoing liver transplantation and splenectomy.

Donor organ shortage stimulated an active use of donors with expanded evaluation criteria. The main evaluation method was a histological examination of liver graft biopsy specimens before (time-zero biopsy) and after reperfusion (time-1 biopsy). Severe ischemic and reperfusion injuries among recipients who received a liver graft made 20.4% and 16.6% respectively. The study showed no impact of small droplet, medium droplet, or even large droplet steatosis (less than 50%) on graft reperfusion injury.

Aim. The aim of the study was to investigate the endoscopic diagnostic and treatment techniques for biliary complications after orthotopic liver transplantation, their efficacy and safety. Material and methods. The study was based on the results of endoscopic treatment of 29 patients with biliary complications occurred after orthotopic liver transplantation in N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine in the period from December 2001 to January 2017. Conclusions. The state-of-the-art methods of therapeutic endoscopy enable a successful treatment of most cases of biliary strictures and biliary-biliary anastomosis incompetence, thus achieving good long-term results using a minimally invasive methodology.

Modeling of immune tolerance will eliminate the need for taking medications to prevent rejection. This review of available literature covers the immune mechanisms of allograft rejection and the ways of tolerance induction. The role of mesenchymal stem cells and using them for tolerance development have been discussed. The authors also draw attention to the fact that blood transfusion from an organ donor leads to a decreased intensity of the immune response to donor cells in transplantation.

Vascular complications (VCs) comprise one of the most serious problems in liver transplantation. This is the next reason of graft loss after primary graft non-function, with the majority of complications being arterial by etiology. VCs significantly decrease the graft and patient survival, contribute to the incidence of retransplantation. This review focuses on the epidemiology, etiology, diagnostics, and treatment of VCs.

Abstract. Using a steatotic graft in liver transplantation (LT) can lead to a poor function and high mortality. The role of the rapid liver graft biopsy processing was studied. The liver grafts of potential donors were assessed for hepatic steatosis.Material and methods. The study included 341 cases of cadaveric donor liver transplantations. Patients were divided in two groups: the study group where the rapid graft biopsy processing was performed (n=163) and the comparison group (n=178) without biopsy processing. Livers with macrosteatosis of over 50% of graft parenchyma or with severe necrosis and structural damage were discarded.Results. The rates of ischemic reperfusion injury (IRI), initial poor graft function (IPGF), and primary graft nonfunction (PNF) were significantly lower in the study group. There were no significant differences between two groups in cold ischemia time.Conclusion: rapid histological examination provides a useful tool to avoid life threatening LT complications such as severe IRI, IPGF, and PNF.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent cancer, usually develops in cirrhotic liver. Liver transplantation (LT) is potentially curative treatment for HCC. A total of 50 patients with HCC underwent LT. Patients were divided and compared according to Milan criteria. Differences between pre - and post-operative assessment were evaluated. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were compared between groups. Patients within MC had a significant better 1-, 3- and 5-year survival than a control group: 100, 100, 87,5% vs. 58, 41 and 27% for DFS and 100, 100, 87,5% vs. 76,9, 45 and 29,5% for OS.Conclusion: long-term results in patients with HCC after LT is excellent if tumor characteristics are within the Milan criteria.

Orthotopic liver transplantation with preservation of the retrohepatic inferior vena cava (IVC) using the so-called piggyback technique (MBT) has a number of priorities over the classical technique. Since 2006, our Belghiti modified piggyback technique (MPBT) has been used in our center as a normal procedure for a liver transplantation program and has been performed 490 times by December 2018. Among them, in 6 recipients in the immediate postoperative period (12- 48 hours), occlusion of the own veins of the liver graft was noted. In all 6 observations, whole liver was used, obtained from the donor after ascertaining brain death. The age of these recipients was 32 ± 12 years, the age of donors was 48 ± 10 years. Percutaneous stenting was not used to correct the venous outflow. Re-transplantation due to the absence of a donor organ was not performed. The best way to treat occlusion of blood outflow from the veins of a liver transplant is to prevent the very cause of its occurrence. The length of the upper vena cava of the graft must be short enough to prevent its fracture and redundancy, and the length of the anastomosis must provide a good venous outflow and be at least 6 cm. segments of the transplanted liver. The results of our study led to the conclusion that early diagnosis of occlusion of the own veins of a liver transplant, based on clinical signs and ultrasound diagnostics, allows detecting pathology in time, reducing ischemic damage to the transplanted organ increases the possibilities of its recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Violations of tissue blood supply remain one of the most serious complications after liver transplantation. Design. To improve the surgical technique of performing reconstructive interventions on the arteries of the donor and the recipient in order to reduce the frequency of its thrombosis after liver transplantation. We studied 25 donors, 20 men and 5 women, the mean age was 56± 4 years, eighteen of them had left aberrant supplementary artery, which in fifteen departed from the left gastric artery and in three from the aorta above the ventricular stem. Seventeen had the right aberrant artery moving away from the upper mesenteric artery. Twenty recipients with liver cirrhosis (eleven with primary biliary cirrhosis, five with primary sclerosing cholangitis, five with viral etiology C cirrhosis, and three of the lower cirrhosis-cirrhosis disseminated within the Milan criteria. All recipients had standard anatomical branching of the arteries of the liver. The average age was 50±6. All recipients had standard anatomical branching of the liver arteries. Patients underwent liver transplantation with new methods of reconstructive interventions on the donor and recipient arteries. The developed technique provides the shortest pathway of the recipient's arterial blood to the liver transplant, through the superior mesenteric artery provides an alternative source of arterial blood supply from the aorta in which this transplant additionally needs. Presented method of blood circulation restoration at liver transplantation at abnormal structure of arterial channel of the liver transplant is performed inside the recipient's abdominal cavity. At first, blood flow is restored along the reconstructed common hepatic artery, after the right or left aberrant arteries liver transplant. Such technique provides the shortest route of the recipient's arterial blood to the liver transplant, through the upper mesenteric artery provides an alternative source of arterial blood supply from the aorta for which the transplant is additionally needed. This new method of blood circulation restoration provides an opportunity to avoid the formation of "kinking" syndrome, in the occurrence of which the blood vessels are lengthened, the angulation and location of the blood vessel in relation to the grafts and other abdominal organs. This reduces the risk of thrombosis of the arteries of the transplanted liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]