The quality of a donor liver after cardiac death is closely associated with energy metabolism during preservation. Ex vivo mechanical perfusion has broad application prospects because this technique can help energy metabolism and repair ischemia injury of donors′ livers. Some core issues are presented in this review in order to provide references for propelling secure application of liver transplantation based on donation after cardiac death.
Objective To investigate the risk factors of early allograft dysfunction (EAD) following C-Ⅱ donation after cardiac death (DCD) liver transplantation. Methods The data of 46 donors and recipients of C-ⅡDCD liver transplantation between March 2012 and August 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. The baseline data such as democracy, death cause, donor warm ischemic time (DWIT) and cold ischemic time (CIT) in EAD group and the non-EAD group (control group) was compared, and whether these factors were risk factors of EAD was investigated by univariate and multivariate analyses. Statistical cut-off values for significant factors of the unfavorable analysis were defined by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis. The 6-month and 1-year graft survival rate were compared. Results The EAD group had a longer DWIT compared with the group [(17.6±4.7) and (12.7±6.2) minutes, P=0.009]; meanwhile, the EAD group had a longer CIT compared with the control group [(13.7±4.7) and (11.0±3.5) hours, P=0.020]. The other factors in both groups showed no statistical significance (P>0.05). The ROC curve revealed the cut-off values of DWIT and CIT were 17.50 minutes [area under the curve (AUC)=0.713, P=0.020] and 9.85 hours (AUC=0.723, P=0.015), respectively. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed the DWIT [odds ratios (OR)=1.340, 95% confidence interval (CI)(1.042, 1.654), P=0.008] and CIT [OR=1.396, 95% CI (1.075, 1.698), P=0.015] were all independent risk factors of EAD. The 6-month and 1-year graft survival rate of the EAD group and the control group was 85.7% vs. 92.3% (P=0.607) and 71.4% vs. 84.6% (P=0.587), respectively. Conclusions EAD may occured in C-Ⅱ donors with DWIT≥17.50 minutes or CIT≥9.85 hours in DCD liver transplantation. The livers can be used as a resource for clinical use and also have a good outcome.
Objective To establish a stable model of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) using donation after cardiac death (DCD) in rat, and to analyze death causes within 24 h after OLT, then explore appropriate treatment strategies for it. Methods The heart arrested 10 min before liver graft harvesting. The rat OLT model using DCD was performed by Kamada two-cuff technique. The operative time and death were recorded. Results One hundred OLT models using DCD were performed successfully within 40 d, the donor operative time was (20±5) min, the recepient operative time was (55±5) min, the anhepatic phase was (20±3) min. Nine rats were died during the operation, including 4 cases of massive haemorrhage, 1 case of anesthesia accident, 1 case of longer anhepatic phase, 1 case of sleeve implant failure, and 2 cases of aeroembolism. Twenty-two rats died within 12 h after the operation, including 6 cases of intestinal necrosis, 6 cases of anastomotic bleeding, 3 cases of pulmonary edema, 4 cases of intraoperative massive haemorrhage, 2 cases of vascular embolism, and 1 case of unexplained death. Nineteen rats died 12–24 h after the operation, including 9 cases of intestinal necrosis, 3 cases of anastomotic bleeding, 2 cases of pulmonary edema, 1 case of intraoperative massive haemorrhage, 1 case of vascular embolism, and 3 cases of unexplained death. Conclusions There are many reasons resulting in early death of rat OLT using DCD, postoperative intestinal necrosis, intraoperative and postoperative bleeding, and postoperative pulmonary edema are main causes. For these reasons, prevention and improvement measures are helpful to establish a stable model and improve a successful rate of rat OLT using DCD.