BACKGROUND: Patients with fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) often die awaiting liver transplantation. Extracorporeal liver perfusion (ECLP) has been proposed as a method of "bridging" such patients to transplantation. We report the largest experience to date of ECLP using human and porcine livers in patients with acute liver failure. METHODS: Patients with FHF unlikely to survive without liver transplantation were identified. ECLP was performed with human or porcine livers. Patients underwent continuous perfusion until liver transplantation or withdrawal of support. Two perfusion circuits were used: direct perfusion of patient blood through the extracorporeal liver and indirect perfusion with a plasma filter between the patient and the liver. FINDINGS: Fourteen patients were treated with 16 livers in 18 perfusion circuits. Nine patients were successfully "bridged" to transplantation. ECLP stabilized intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP). Arterial ammonia levels fell from a median of 146 to 83 micromol/liter within 12 hr and this reduction was maintained at least 48 hr. Pig and human ECLP lowered ammonia levels equally. Serum bilirubin levels also fell from a median of 385 to 198 micromol/liter over the first 12 hr but the response was not sustained as well with porcine livers. There was no immunological benefit to using the the filtered perfusion circuit. INTERPRETATION: These data demonstrate that ECLP is safe and can provide metabolic support for comatose patients with fulminant hepatic failure for up to 5 days. While labor and resource intensive, this technology is available to centers caring for patients with acute liver failure and deserves wider evaluation and application.
BACKGROUND:Patients with fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) often die awaiting liver transplantation. Extracorporeal liver perfusion (ECLP) has been proposed as a method of "bridging" such patients to transplantation. We report the largest experience to date of ECLP using human and porcine livers in patients with acute liver failure. METHODS:Patients with FHF unlikely to survive without liver transplantation were identified. ECLP was performed with human or porcine livers. Patients underwent continuous perfusion until liver transplantation or withdrawal of support. Two perfusion circuits were used: direct perfusion of patient blood through the extracorporeal liver and indirect perfusion with a plasma filter between the patient and the liver. FINDINGS: Fourteen patients were treated with 16 livers in 18 perfusion circuits. Nine patients were successfully "bridged" to transplantation. ECLP stabilized intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP). Arterial ammonia levels fell from a median of 146 to 83 micromol/liter within 12 hr and this reduction was maintained at least 48 hr. Pig and human ECLP lowered ammonia levels equally. Serum bilirubin levels also fell from a median of 385 to 198 micromol/liter over the first 12 hr but the response was not sustained as well with porcine livers. There was no immunological benefit to using the the filtered perfusion circuit. INTERPRETATION: These data demonstrate that ECLP is safe and can provide metabolic support for comatosepatients with fulminant hepatic failure for up to 5 days. While labor and resource intensive, this technology is available to centers caring for patients with acute liver failure and deserves wider evaluation and application.
Authors: Achilles A Demetriou; Robert S Brown; Ronald W Busuttil; Jeffrey Fair; Brendan M McGuire; Philip Rosenthal; Jan Schulte Am Esch; Jan Lerut; Scott L Nyberg; Mauro Salizzoni; Elizabeth A Fagan; Bernard de Hemptinne; Christoph E Broelsch; Maurizio Muraca; Joan Manuel Salmeron; John M Rabkin; Herold J Metselaar; Daniel Pratt; Manuel De La Mata; Lawrence P McChesney; Gregory T Everson; Philip T Lavin; Anthony C Stevens; Zorina Pitkin; Barry A Solomon Journal: Ann Surg Date: 2004-05 Impact factor: 12.969
Authors: Maarten Paul van de Kerkhove; Ruurdtje Hoekstra; Robert A F M Chamuleau; Thomas M van Gulik Journal: Ann Surg Date: 2004-08 Impact factor: 12.969
Authors: John C LaMattina; Lars Burdorf; Tianshu Zhang; Elana Rybak; Xiangfei Cheng; Raghava Munivenkatappa; Isabelle I Salles; Katleen Broos; Evelyn Sievert; Brian McCormick; Marc Decarlo; David Ayares; Hans Deckmyn; Agnes M Azimzadeh; Richard N Pierson; Rolf N Barth Journal: Xenotransplantation Date: 2014-03-17 Impact factor: 3.907
Authors: Joanne L Zahorsky-Reeves; Clare R Gregory; Donald V Cramer; Insiyyah Y Patanwala; Andrew E Kyles; Dominic C Borie; Mary K Kearns-Jonker Journal: BMC Immunol Date: 2006-03-20 Impact factor: 3.615