Objective To explore the value of combined ultrasound parameters, including the hepatorenal index (HRI) and renal resistance index (RRI), with cystatin C (CysC) in monitoring early acute kidney injury (AKI) after liver transplantation. Methods Perioperative data from 121 liver transplant recipients who received organs from donation after brain death were collected. The HRI and RRI of the recipients were measured on postoperative days 1-7 and at 1 month, and the CysC levels were measured on postoperative day 1. The recipients were divided into the AKI group (n=53) and the non-AKI group (n=68) based on whether AKI occurred within 7 days after operation. The data of the two groups were compared, and the ultrasound parameters before and after recovery in the AKI group were analyzed. The value of combined HRI, RRI and CysC in monitoring AKI was also analyzed. Results AKI occurred in 53 recipients, with an incidence rate of 43.8%, including 30 cases of stage 1, 18 cases of stage 2, and 5 cases of stage 3. Among them, 49 cases occurred on postoperative day 1, and 4 cases occurred on postoperative day 2. Of these, 43 cases recovered within 7 days after surgery, 8 cases recovered within 2 months after surgery, 1 case was lost to follow-up, and 1 case received renal replacement therapy. The body mass index and preoperative CysC levels were higher in the AKI group than in the non-AKI group, and the operative time was longer in the AKI group than in the non-AKI group (all P < 0.05). The HRI on postoperative day 1 was lower in the AKI group than in the non-AKI group, while the RRI and CysC levels were higher (all P < 0.05). When AKI occurred, the HRI was lower than the baseline level, and the RRI was higher than the baseline level. As AKI recovered, the HRI gradually increased, and the RRI gradually decreased. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the sensitivity and specificity of HRI ≤ 1.12 for predicting AKI were 0.623 and 0.878, respectively, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.801. The sensitivity and specificity of RRI ≥ 0.65 for predicting AKI were 0.878 and 0.676, respectively, with an AUC of 0.825. The sensitivity and specificity of CysC ≥ 1.38 mg/L for predicting AKI were 0.736 and 0.882, respectively, with an AUC of 0.851 (all P<0.01). The combination of HRI and CysC (AUC=0.897, P<0.01), RRI and CysC (AUC=0.910, P<0.01), and all three parameters combined (AUC=0.934, P<0.01) were more effective than using each parameter alone. Conclusions HRI and RRI may be used to monitor the occurrence and recovery of early AKI after liver transplantation. The combination of these two parameters with CysC has a high application value in monitoring early AKI after liver transplantation.

This article reports a patient with hepatic coma who underwent artificial liver support therapy and liver transplantation successfully， and the patient recovered well in the later stage after active treatment. This article also discusses the timing of liver transplantation.

Objective:Exploring the value of contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) plus transient elastography in evaluating donor livers for C-I donors and predicting the occurrence of early allograft dysfunction (EAD).Methods:Between September 1, 2022 and August 31, 2023, the relevant clinical data were retrospectively reviewed for 75 pairs of donors and recipients. Based upon whether or not there was a postoperative onset of EAD, the recipients were assigned into two groups of EAD (16 cases) and non-EAD (59 cases) . All donors were examined by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and FibroScan. QLAB analysis software was utilized for analyzing the results of contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Liver parenchyma at 3 cm below liver capsule was selected as a region of interest for plotting the time-intensity curve (TIC) . And the contrast-enhanced ultrasonic parameters of two groups were recorded. FibroScan transient elastography instrument was employed for quantifying liver stiffness 12 times in right lobe of donor liver and recording quantitative parameters of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) .Results:Inter-group comparison of gender, age, body mass index (BMI) and ICU length of stay showed no statistically significant differences ( P>0. 05) . However, significant differences existed in the levels of platelet [ (122. 44±85. 82) vs (197. 22± 140. 93) ×10 9/L]and cholinesterase [ (3 473. 44±1 368. 54) vs (4 252. 93±1 365. 37) U/L]within the first 24h pre-operation ( P=0. 047, P=0. 047) . Peak intensity (PKI) and area under the curve (AUC) were lower in EAD group than those in non-EAD group [ (16. 44±4. 70) dB vs 19. 85±4. 39 dB, P=0. 009; (1 366. 76±508. 10) dB·s vs (1 675. 23±498. 77) dB·s, P=0. 014]. There were statistically significant differences ( P=0. 009, P=0. 032) . Arterial-portal arrival interval (APAI) and LSM were higher in EAD group than those in non-EAD group[6. 50 (5. 00, 10.75) s vs 5. 00 (4. 00, 7. 00) s, P =0. 24; 8. 60 (6. 32, 11. 65) kPa vs 6. 10 (5. 40, 7. 90) kPa, P=0. 014]. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that PKI, AUC, APAI and LSM had AUC values of 0. 703, 0. 664, 0. 683 and 0. 702, respectively in predicting postoperative EAD. And combined prediction of EAD occurrence based upon these parameters had an AUC of 0. 776, a Youden index of 0. 508 with cutoff values, sensitivity and specificity of 0. 800, 0. 813 and 0. 695 respectively. Spearman' s correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between APAI and AUC values ( r= -0. 404, P<0. 001) . Conclusions:The combination of CEUS and transient elastography can comprehensively evaluate the status of microcirculatory perfusion, fibrosis and steatosis of liver grafts from brain death donors. It offers a great predictive value for postoperative occurrence of EAD.

Objective:To investigate the application of endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver biopsy (EUS-LB) to liver transplant recipients.Methods:In this retrospective cohort study, a total of 12 liver transplant recipients who underwent EUS-LB by the same endoscopist and specimens were diagnosed and reported by the same pathologist due to abnormal liver function or need to be evaluated for graft fibrosis in the Organ Transplantation Center of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University were enrolled into the EUS-LB group from December 2021 to March 2022, meanwhile, a total of 23 patients whose PLB was completed by the same hepatologist and specimens were diagnosed by the same pathologist during the same period were enrolled in the PLB group. Acquisition of liver specimens and postoperative adverse events of the two groups were compared.Results:Patients in both groups were punctured 1-2 times on average, and the median total length of liver specimens in the EUS-LB group was significantly longer than that in the PLB group (61 mm VS 17 mm, Z=11.362, P=0.002). There was no significant difference in the length of the longest liver specimens between the two groups (17.6±6.9 mm VS 13.7±3.5 mm, t=2.382, P=0.086), while the number of liver specimens in the EUS-LB group was more than that in the PLB group (4.8±2.1 VS 2.3±1.2, t=9.271, P=0.001). The number of complete portal tracts was 11.3±4.6 in the EUS-LB group and 6.2±3.3 in the PLB group ( t=8.457, P=0.003). Abdominal pain was the only postoperative adverse event, and only 1 patient in the EUS-LB group had postoperative abdominal pain, which was fewer than that in the PLB group [8.3% (1/12) VS 43.5% (10/23), χ2=4.893, P=0.036]. Conclusion:Compared with PLB, EUS-LB delivers longer liver biopsy specimens with more complete portal tracts in liver transplant recipients, and fewer recipients complain about postoperative pain in EUS-LB group. Therefore, EUS-LB is a safer, more effective and more comfortable liver biopsy method.

Objective:To explore the value of 18F-fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) PET/CT in the assessment of early-stage graft fibrosis (S1-S2) after liver transplantation (LT). Methods:From November 2021 to April 2022, 17 adult liver transplant recipients (12 males and 5 females; age (52.6±7.9) years) in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University were enrolled retrospectively in this study. All 17 patients received laboratory examinations, FibroScan, 18F-FAPI PET/CT and liver biopsy. According to the Scheuer scoring system, hepatic tissue was divided into no fibrosis (S0) and early fibrosis (S1-S2). Independent-sample t test was used to compare SUV max between two groups, and Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare liver stiffness measurement (LSM). ROC curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of LSM and SUV max in the early fibrosis of liver grafts. Delong test was used to compare the difference of AUCs. Results:Among 17 adult LT recipients, 11 were in stage S0, 5 were in stage S1, and 1 was in stage S2. There were significant differences in LSM and SUV max between no fibrosis group and early fibrosis group (LSM: 5.4(4.7, 6.6) vs 12.9(5.6, 19.9) kPa, z=-2.01, P=0.044; SUV max: 1.7±0.8 vs 3.9±1.6, t=-3.14, P=0.019). The threshold value of LSM in predicting early-stage graft fibrosis was 8.2 kPa and the AUC was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.54-0.95), which was 2.0 and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.78-1.00) for SUV max respectively. There was no significant difference in AUC between the two tools ( z=0.80, P=0.421). Conclusion:18F-FAPI PET/CT can precisely evaluate the early fibrosis of allografts, with the similar diagnostic efficacy with FibroScan (LSM), which is expected to be a new non-invasive diagnostic tool for predicting the early-stage of graft liver fibrosis.

Objective:To explore the related factors of vascular complications after liver transplantation in children.Methods:This is a retrospective case series research. The clinical data of 89 pediatric liver transplant patients admitted to the Organ Transplantation Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2016 to March 2024 were collected retrospectively. This study included 44 males and 45 females,aged from 4 months to 17 years. The ratio of graft to recipient weight was 0.6% to 7.7%. The primary diseases included 48 cases of biliary atresia and 41 cases of non-biliary atresia. The Wilcoxon rank sum test, χ2 test, and Fisher′s exact probability method were used for data analysis. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the related factors of vascular complications. Results:All 89 children with liver transplantation completed surgery successfully. There were 8 cases of arterial complications after surgery, including 6 cases of hepatic artery thrombosis and 2 cases of hepatic artery stenosis. There were 16 cases of portal vein complications after surgery, including 9 cases of portal vein stenosis and 7 cases of portal vein thrombosis. The results of univariate analysis showed that the age of the recipient ≤1 year was the relevant factor for hepatic arterial complications( χ 2=4.772, P=0.029). The age of the recipient ≤1 year, the age of the donor, the hepatic phase, and the time of cold ischemia were the relevant factors for the occurrence of portal vein complications( χ 2=7.270, Z=388.500, Z=838.000, Z=894.500;all P<0.05). The results of multivariate analysis showed that age(≤1 year vs. >1 year) and duration of cold ischemia(every additional 1 hour) were independent related factors for portal vein complications after liver transplantation in children(both P<0.05). Conclusion:Children aged ≤1 year and with prolonged cold ischemia are more likely to develop portal vein complications after liver transplantation.

Objective:To explore the related factors of vascular complications after liver transplantation in children.Methods:This is a retrospective case series research. The clinical data of 89 pediatric liver transplant patients admitted to the Organ Transplantation Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January 2016 to March 2024 were collected retrospectively. This study included 44 males and 45 females,aged from 4 months to 17 years. The ratio of graft to recipient weight was 0.6% to 7.7%. The primary diseases included 48 cases of biliary atresia and 41 cases of non-biliary atresia. The Wilcoxon rank sum test, χ2 test, and Fisher′s exact probability method were used for data analysis. Multivariate Logistic regression was used to analyze the related factors of vascular complications. Results:All 89 children with liver transplantation completed surgery successfully. There were 8 cases of arterial complications after surgery, including 6 cases of hepatic artery thrombosis and 2 cases of hepatic artery stenosis. There were 16 cases of portal vein complications after surgery, including 9 cases of portal vein stenosis and 7 cases of portal vein thrombosis. The results of univariate analysis showed that the age of the recipient ≤1 year was the relevant factor for hepatic arterial complications( χ 2=4.772, P=0.029). The age of the recipient ≤1 year, the age of the donor, the hepatic phase, and the time of cold ischemia were the relevant factors for the occurrence of portal vein complications( χ 2=7.270, Z=388.500, Z=838.000, Z=894.500;all P<0.05). The results of multivariate analysis showed that age(≤1 year vs. >1 year) and duration of cold ischemia(every additional 1 hour) were independent related factors for portal vein complications after liver transplantation in children(both P<0.05). Conclusion:Children aged ≤1 year and with prolonged cold ischemia are more likely to develop portal vein complications after liver transplantation.

Objective:To analyze the prognostic outcomes of 1 147 patients who underwent liver transplantation at Qingdao University Affiliated Hospital and to summarize measures to enhance the efficacy of liver transplantation.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and follow-up data of 1 147 liver transplant patients at Qingdao University Affiliated Hospital.Results:The overall postoperative 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates for the 1 147 liver transplant patients were 87.20%, 73.40%, and 65.60%, respectively. The survival rates for benign disease liver transplant recipients were 88.01%, 84.98%, and 81.39% at 1, 3, and 5 years post-transplant, respectively, compared to recipients transplanted for malignancies of 78.11%, 64.41%, and 60.06% (all P<0.001). Among the mid vs more recent period, patients' 1-year and 3-year postoperative survival rates were 84.20%, 70.80% vs 90.50%, 71.70%, respectively,significantly in favor of recently enrolled patients ( P=0.022). In the complex surgery group, patients' 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 82.70%, 65.50%, 56.70%, while in less complicated group, it was 89.00%, 76.50%, 69.20% ( P<0.001). The primary causes of death for benign disease recipients were multi-organ failure (4.1%), while in recipients with malignant disease primary cause of death was tumor recurrence (23.7%). Postoperative complications included primary graft dysfunction, delayed graft function recovery, portal vein thrombosis, hepatic artery thrombosis, biliary stricture, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder, and graft-versus-host disease, with occurrence rates of 1.05%, 6.89%, 1.92%, 0.44%, 2.00%, 0.61%, and 0.44%, respectively. Conclusions:With the continuous improvement in surgical techniques and perioperative care levels, the 3-year survival rate of recipients at our center has increased. Malignant diseases and complex liver transplantation remain crucial factors affecting recipient prognosis, highlighting the need to further enhance comprehensive treatment capabilities for patients with malignant diseases and complex surgeries.

Acute kidney injury is a common complication after liver transplantation, which severely affects clinical prognosis of liver transplant recipients. Multiple factors before, during and after liver transplantation may cause kidney injury. If not properly treated, it may progress into chronic kidney diseases, which significantly increases postoperative fatality and negatively affects clinical efficacy of liver transplantation. Therefore, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of acute kidney injury after liver transplantation is a hot topic for clinicians. In this article, the definition, diagnosis, risk factors, prevention and treatment of acute kidney injury after liver transplantation were reviewed, and potential risk factors and related therapeutic strategies during different stages of acute kidney injury after liver transplantation were analyzed, aiming to lower the risk of acute kidney injury after liver transplantation and further improve clinical prognosis of liver transplant recipients by optimizing treatment regimens.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with de-novo non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (de-novo NAFLD) and patients with de-novo NAFLD combined with metabolic syndrome (MS) after liver transplantation (LT) , and to determine the related risk factors.Methods:Patients who underwent LT at the Organ Transplantation Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, from Jan. 2016 to Oc. 2020 and were monitored until Oct. 2021 were gathered. The recipients were divided into the group with/without de-novo NAFLD, and LT recipients with de-novo NAFLD were divided into the group with/without combined MS. Clinical characteristics of the LT recipients with de-novo NAFLD combined with MS were analyzed. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the risk factors for LT recipients with de-novo NAFLD and those with combined MS.Results:A total of 324 LT recipients with a median follow-up of 2.9 years (range: 2.0-4.3 years) were included in the study. De-novo NAFLD was diagnosed in 21.0% (68/324) of the LT recipients, and MS was diagnosed in 44.1% (30/68) of these patients. Compared with LT recipients without de-novo NAFLD, those with de-novo NAFLD had higher preoperative body mass index (BMI) , blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin levels and lower platelet levels, and longer postoperative follow-up, higher BMI, waist circumference, albumin, triglycerides (TG) , low-density lipoprotein (LDL) , blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin levels, and the incidence of MS (all P<0.05) . Preoperative platelets, glucose, postoperative albumin, LDL and BMI were independent risk factors for predicting de-novo NAFLD after LT (all P<0.05) . Preoperative glucose performed well in predicting the occurrence of de-novo NAFLD (threshold: 5.5mmol/L, P<0.001, AUC=0.678) . The differences in Pre-LT blood glucose, post-LT BMI, waist circumference, prevalence of prediabetes or diabetes, fatty liver index (FLI) , and NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) between de-novo NAFLD LT recipients with and without combined MS were significantly different (all P<0.05) . Conclusions:The incidence of de-novo NAFLD after LT is noteworthy, and LT recipients with de-novo NAFLD are more likely to have a combination with MS. In preoperative treatment, keeping blood glucose to 5.5 mmol/L or below trends helps to lower the risk of de-novo NAFLD following LT. LT recipients’ nutritional state and lipid levels require prompt care. High albumin levels might not be a desirable thing. De-novo NAFLD LT recipients with concomitant prediabetes or diabetes may imply an increased risk of developing comorbid MS during the post-LT follow-up. Controlling FLI levels in LT recipients with de-novo NAFLD may reduce the risk of developing comorbid MS.