Objective To evaluate the role of preoperative serological indexes in predicting long-term survival and tumor recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after liver transplantation, aiming to explore its significance in expanding the Milan criteria. Methods Clinical data of 669 recipients undergoing liver transplantation for HCC were retrospectively analyzed. The optimal cut-off value was calculated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The risk factors affecting the overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates of HCC patients after liver transplantation were identified by univariate and multivariate regression analyses. The correlation between preoperative serum liver enzymes and pathological characteristics in HCC patients was analyzed. The predictive values of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) combined with γ -glutamyl transferase (GGT) and different liver transplant criteria for the survival and recurrence of HCC patients after liver transplantation were compared. Results Exceeded Milan criteria, total tumor diameter (TTD) > 8 cm, AFP > 200 ng/mL and GGT > 84 U/L were the independent risk factors for the overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates of HCC patients after liver transplantation (all P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that preoperative serum GGT level was correlated with TTD, number of tumor, venous invasion, microsatellite lesions, capsular invasion, tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) stage, Child-Pugh score and exceeded Milan criteria (all P < 0.05). Milan-AFP-GGT-TTD (M-AGT) criteria were proposed by combining Milan criteria, TTD with serum liver enzyme indexes (AFP and GGT). The 5-year overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates of HCC recipients who met the M-AGT criteria (111 cases of exceeded Milan criteria) were significantly higher than those who met Hangzhou criteria (both P < 0.05), whereas had no significant difference from their counterparts who met the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) criteria (both P > 0.05). Conclusions Preoperative serological indexes of AFP and GGT could effectively predict the long-term survival and tumor recurrence of HCC patients after liver transplantation. Establishing the M-AGT criteria based on serological indexes contributes to expanding the Milan criteria, which is convenient and feasible.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a category of highly heterogeneous and aggressive malignancy mainly originating from bile duct epithelial cells. The median survival time of untreated CCA patients is approximately 12?24 months, and the effectiveness and durability of surgical resection and neoadjuvant chemotherapy are limited. Results of the next-generation sequencing show that dysregulation of the immune system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of CCA. It has opened up new possibilities for the study of therapies targeting the natural course of aggressive CCA, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive cell therapy, and tumor vaccines. Based on the current status of immunotherapy for CCA, the authors review the efficacy and dilemmas of current CCA immunotherapy strategies and look forward to the future treatment prospects of CCA.

Objective : To explore the technology and efficacy of fabrication of a guide and removal of a fiber post by tetrahedron positioning technology at the chair side. Methods: For one patient with acute chronic periapical periodontitis of the left maxillary lateral incisor who needed to have the fiber post removed, the chair side tetrahedral positioning technique was used to make a guide plate to remove the fiber post. Cone beam CT (CBCT) data were imported into the software to design the guide plate for fiber post removal. The guide plate design on CBCT was transferred to a solid model by using tetrahedral positioning technology. The guide plate was made to guide the removal of the fiber post, and then left maxillary lateral incisor root canal was performed. We evaluated the effect of fiber post removal with tetrahedral positioning technology by reviewing the literature. Results : The guide plate made by tetrahedral positioning technology can accurately locate the position and direction of fiber posts at a low cost and with high speed. After the fiber post was removed, the root canal could be dredged by using root canal preparation instruments. After root canal preparation, the root canal was filled with warm gutta-percha to complete the root canal treatment. After 3 months, the apical radiograph showed that the transmission shadow of the apical area was reduced. The results of the literature review showed that the fiber post removal with guide plates provides a predictable result and a lower risk of iatrogenic damage. Minimally invasive treatment can be carried out, and chair time can be reduced. Conclusion On the basis of CBCT data, using tetrahedral positioning technology to make fiber post removal guides can help reduce the risk of fiber post removal and has the characteristics of speed, low cost and short chair side processing. However, the accuracy comparison between tetrahedral positioning technology and 3D printing guides needs further study.

Objective To assess the effects of the risk factors of grafts from donors after cardiac death (DCD) on the prognosis of liver transplantation (LT).Methods In this retrospectively study,215 cases of LT using DCD donor grafts were performed at our institution from September 2013 to January 2017.Due to the loss to follow-up in 4 cases,211 cases were enrolled in the study.The following DCD donor data were collected:gender,age,primary disease,ABO blood type,body mass index (BMI),medical history (fatty liver,hypertension),ICU hospitalization time,mechanical ventilation time,warm ischemia time,cold ischemia time,and indexes of routine laboratory test before donation.Statistical analyses using the Kaplan-Meier method,log-rank test,multivariate step-wise Cox regression were performed.Results Of the 211 donors,univariate analysis showed that the overall 6-month,1-,and 3-year survival rate after DCD LT was 88％,84％,and 82％,respectively.Univariate analysis showed that donor serum sodium level ＜136 mmol/L (P =0.018) and cold ischemia time ＞9 h (P =0.013) were all significant risk factors affecting overall survival after DCD LT.Additionally,donor BMI ＞30 kg/m2 (P =0.011) and donor age ＞60 years (P =0.025) were significantly associated with postoperative complications.Multivariate analysis showed that donor serum sodium level (P=0.025) was an independent risk factor of survival after DCD LT.Conclusion To select suitable DCD liver allografts and control risk factors of donor can help to improve outcomes of recipients.

Objective To study the diagnosis,prophylaxis and treatment of splenic artery steal syndrome (SASS),and to evaluate their clinical outcomes in recipients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).Methods 1 385 consecutive patients who suffered from liver cirrhosis and had undergone OLT in our hospital between Jan,2004 and Dec,2013 were studied.We hypothesized that patients were at risk of SASS when the calibre of the splenic artery (SA) was 1.5 times larger than the common hepatic artery (CHA) together with splenomegaly (318 patients,23.0％).Further surveillance with Doppler ultrasound (DUS) was carried out immediately at CHA reperfusion during operation.When a sluggish peak systolic velocity (PSV) ＜ 30 cm/s or no flow was detected in a patent hepatic artery,prophylactic SA banding (SAB) was considered.127 patients (39.9％) who fulfilled these criteria were recruited to the intervention group to undergo SAB.Eventually,patients who developed SASS were treated with coil-embolization of the SA (SAE),re-anastomosis of the HA to aorta (HTA),ligation of SA (SAL) or splenectomy (SPT),or retransplantation.Results SAB resulted in immediately increase in the mean PSV of the HA from 19.3 ±5.5 cm/s to 45.9 ± 9.1 cm/s (P ＜ 0.05),and resistance index (RI) of the HA rehabilitated to reasonable levels (0.5 ～0.8),without any HA or biliary related complication in all the 127 patients.17 patients in the control group were identified to have SASS (8.9％).5 of these 17 patients required emergency treatment by coil-embolization.Of the remaining 12 patients,11 who developed hepatic artery thrombosis secondary to SASS required to undergo embolectomy or thrombolysis followed by HTA (4 patients),SAL (3 patients),SPT (5 patients).Three of these patients finally required re-OLT.All these patients obtained acceptable results by these salvage strategies,except 2 out of the 12 patients who died from liver failure.Conclusions SASS is an important but it is often and under-diagnosed cause of graft ischemia after OLT.Prophylactic SAB should be introduced to patients at risk of developing SASS in order to obtain satisfactory results.Coil-embolization of SA shortly after diagnosis is an effective salvage intervention to prevent further progression to develop devastating consequences.

Objective To investigate the safety and efficacy of splitting liver transplantation (SLT). Methods Clinical data of 10 donors and 19 recipients undergoing SLT in Institute of Organ Transplantation, General Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces from January 2008 to August 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. Of these 19 recipients, 9 were male, 10 were female and 9 were children,10 were adults. The age ranged from 7 months to 62 years with a median age of 31 years. The graft recipient weigh ratio (GRWR) was 1.0%to 4.3%. The informed consents of all patients were obtained and the ethical committee approval was received. The 10 cadaveric donor livers were split in vitro, in which 9 pair grafts were transplanted in 9 children and 8 adults respectively. The left lateral lobes (segmentⅡ,Ⅲ) were transplanted in children and the extended right lobes (segmentⅠ,Ⅳ-Ⅷ) in adults. The other donor liver was split in left and right half lobes and were transplanted in 2 adults. Piggyback liver transplantation was performed in the 9 children receiving left lateral lobes and 1 adult receiving right half lobe. Classic orthotopic liver transplantation was performed in the 8 adults receiving extended right lobes and 1 adult receiving left half lobe. Peri-operative death and complications of the patients were observed. The patients were followed up regularly for observing the survival situation. Results All the operations of 19 recipients were completed successfully. Seventeen cases were cured and discharged from hospital and 2 cases died during the peri-operative period. The 2 dead cases were both children. One died of septic shock 2 weeks after operation and the other died of primary liver graft nonfunction 2 d after liver retransplantation. Biliary leak of liver section occurred in 2 pediatric recipients and was cured by puncture drainage. One adult recipient with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma died of lung and bone multiple metastases 15 months after operation. Conclusions SLT is a safe and feasible transplant operation and it can help to alleviate the shortage of donor livers to some extent.

Objective To evaluate the influence of L-ornithine-L-aspartate (LOLA) on model for end stage liver disease(MELD) score and liver function of patients with chronic liver failure (CLF). Methods Sixty patients consecutively admitted to our hospital from May, 2002 and November, 2008 were enrolled into the study and randomly divided into low dose group (LD group, LOLA:10 g/d) and high dose group (HD group, LOLA :20 g/d)After treatment of LOLA, the clinical data ( serum NH3 , MELD score and liver function ) were compared between the two groups. Results Compared to serum NH3 level before treatment, serum NH3 decreased ( 62.59 + 27.87 )μmoL/L in the HD group and (49.36 + 27.34 ) μmol/L in the LD group, and both decreasements were statistical significant (Ps ＜ 0. 05 ). Compared to MELD before treatment, MELD score decreased ( 8.38 ± 2. 24 ) and ( 14.57 + 7.68), respectively ( Ps ＜ 0.05 ). Compared to LD group, all indices of liver function in the HD group improved more compared to those of the LD group ( Ps ＜ 0.05 ). Conclusions LOLA could significantly decrease serum NH3 and MELD score and improve liver function in CLF patients.

Objective To investigate the impacts of preoperative portal vein thrombosis (PVT) on intraoperative or postoperative parameters in patients receiving orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Methods The clinical data of 836 patients undergoing OLT in our hospital from February 2002 to February 2007 were retrospectively analyzed. Of the 836 patients, 71 had preoperative PVT (PVT group) and the other 765 had not (control group). Intraoperative patameters (operative dura-tion, anhepatic phase duration, blood transfusion volume) and postoperative parameters (ICU stay and hospitalization time, portal rethrombosis posttransplantation, graft function, portal vein flow, death rate in perioperation and 1-, 3-, 5-year survival rate) were compared between the 2 groups. Results The operative duration and anheptic phase duration were significantly higher in the PVT group than in the control (792. 47±62. 29 min vs 516. 18±86. 30 min, P<0. 01, 77. 53±24. 76 min vs 48. 55±31. 20 min, P<0. 05). Perioperative blood transfusion volume, average ICU stay and hospitalization duration were not significantly different between the 2 groups. The incidence of postoperative portal rethrombosis was remarkably higher in PVT group than in the control (9. 86% vs 1. 44% , P<0. 01).No significant differences in the graft function and portal vein flow (PVF) between the 2 groups except for a higher PVF in the PVT group on the 90th d(41. 43±17. 19 vs 19. 85±11. 39, P<0. 05). We noticed slightly higher death rate in perioperative and lower 1-, 3-, 5-year survival rate in the PVT group. Conclusion Preoperative PVT can gain the same favorable outcomes as in those without PVT in spite of readily intraoperative complex.

Objective To investigate the influence of hypothermia during reperfusion on acute pulmonary edema(APE)after liver transplantation in patients with chronic severe hepatitis. Methods Between February 2002 and December 2006,108 consecutive patients of chronic severe hepatitis underwent liver transplantation. Patients suffering from postoperative APE(APE group)were compared with those without APE(NAPE group)on hypothermia during reperfusion. We evaluated the impact of hypothermia on requirement of red blood cells and/or fresh-frozen plasma, and prothrombin time in neo-liver phase. Results Forty-one out of these 108(37.96%)cases were complicated with APE. Compared with NAPE group, patients in APE group have significant lower core hypothermia(t=2.413,P=0.018),longer hypothermia duration(＞5 min)(39.02%,x2=143.40).Longer pmthrombin time(t=2.884,P=0.005)and larger amount of blood transfnsion were observed in APE group. Patients with hypothermia were prone to accompanied with longer PT in neo-liver phase(28.03±8.45)min vs (24.12±5.89)min, t=2.553,P=0.012),larger requiting of RBC transfusion(2786.96±1266.47)ml vs(2129.41±805.90) ml, t=2.364,P=0.026)and fresh-frozen plasma(2121.74±676.19)ml vs (1768.24±685.08) ml, t=2.201,P=0.030).Conclusions Low core hypothermia during neo-liver reperfusion contributes to the development of APE in patients with chronic severe hepatitis undergoing liver transplantation. Prolonged PT and large amount of blood transfusion may be involved in this complication.

0.05 ). The rate of hypertensive gastropathy, compared with PCDV (66.74%), was significantly attenuated in patiens who underwent PCDV+ORP (22.78%, P