Living donor liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma beyond the Milan criteria: outcome of expanded criteria in tumor size

Background The Milan criteria are the universal standard of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Numerous expanded criteria have shown outcomes as good as the Milan criteria. In Taiwan, living donor liver transplant (LDLT) accounts for the majority of transplantations due to organ shortages. Methods We retrospectively enrolled 155 patients who underwent LDLT for HCC from July 2005 to June 2017 and were followed up for at least 2 years. Patients beyond the Milan criteria (n = 78) were grouped as recurrent or nonrecurrent, and we established new expanded criteria based on these data. Results Patients beyond the Milan criteria with recurrence (n = 31) had a significantly larger maximal tumor diameter (4.13 ± 1.96 cm versus 6.10 ± 3.41 cm, p = 0.006) and total tumor diameter (7.19 ± 4.13 cm versus 10.21 ± 5.01 cm, p = 0.005). Therefore, we established expanded criteria involving maximal tumor diameter ≤ 6 cm and total tumor diameter < 10 cm. The 5-year survival rate of patients who met these criteria (n = 134) was 77.3%, and the 5-year recurrence rate was 20.5%; both showed no significant differences from those of the Milan criteria. Under the expanded criteria, the pool of eligible recipients was 35% larger than that of the Milan criteria. Conclusion Currently, patients with HCC who undergo LDLT can achieve good outcomes even when they are beyond the Milan criteria. Under the new expanded criteria, patients can achieve outcomes as good as those with the Milan criteria and more patients can benefit.

334. Impact of Overall Dexamethasone Exposure on Development of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19

Background Abbreviated courses of corticosteroids, such as dexamethasone, have demonstrated significant improvements in clinical outcomes among patients infected with COVID-19, although chronic corticosteroid use can predispose patients to opportunistic infections. The RECOVERY trial investigators showed reduced 28-day mortality among patients treated with 6 mg/day dexamethasone for up to 10 days, however in clinical practice the dosage and duration of dexamethasone therapy can vary widely based on severity of disease and provider discretion. Upon observing an anecdotal increase in the number of patients presenting with potential invasive aspergillosis during the third wave of COVID-19, we sought to evaluate the impact of overall dexamethasone exposure on the development of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. Methods Patients presenting to our institution from Dec. 2020 – Jan. 2021 with positive PCR for SARS-CoV-2 were screened for dexamethasone therapy. Assignment of high vs low dose dexamethasone groups were retrospectively made based on overall dexamethasone exposure. Low dose dexamethasone assignment was restricted to a total exposure of no more than 78 mg during a patient’s hospitalization. Adjudication of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis was made based on criteria that included host factors, radiologic findings, clinical factors, and mycological evidence. Results Dexamethasone therapy was provided to 202 patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19. Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis was determined to be probable in n=7 patients based on European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) criteria, and in n=13 patients based on expanded criteria. Patients in the low dose dexamethasone group were less likely to be diagnosed with probable IPA based on EORTC criteria (n=0, 0% on low dose vs. n=7, 11% on high dose) as well as expanded criteria (n=9, 5% on low dose vs. n=11, 17% on high dose), p&lt; 0.001. Conclusion Patients hospitalized with COVID-19 receiving high-dose dexamethasone may be at a higher risk of opportunistic infections such as invasive pulmonary aspergillosis compared to patients who receive low-dose dexamethasone therapy. Further investigation is needed to obtain higher certainty of IPA diagnosis. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Liver Transplantation in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma beyond the Milan Criteria: A Comprehensive Review

The Milan criteria (MC) were developed more than 20 years ago and are still considered the benchmark for liver transplantation (LT) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the strict application of MC might exclude some patients who may receive a clinical benefit of LT. Several expanded criteria have been proposed. Some of these consider pretransplant morphological and biological variables of the tumor, others consider post-LT variables such as the histology of the tumor, and others combine pre- and post-LT variables. More recently, the HCC response to locoregional treatments before transplantation emerged as a surrogate marker of the biological aggressiveness of the tumor to be used as a better selection criterion for LT in patients beyond the MC at presentation. This essential review aims to present the current data on the pretransplant selection criteria for LT in patients with HCC exceeding the MC at presentation based on morphological and histological characteristics of the tumor and to critically discuss those that have been validated in clinical practice. Moreover, the role of HCC biological markers and the tumor response to downstaging procedures as new tools for selecting patients with a tumor burden outside of the MC for LT is evaluated.

Patient and kidney graft survival rates after first and second kidney transplantation

Introduction. Expanding donation criteria is one way of solving the problem of the increasing need of transplantation. The article is dedicated to comparison of the outcomes of first and second repeated kidney transplantation using grafts from standard criteria and expanded criteria donors.Aim. To evaluate 1-year and 5-year recipient and kidney graft survival rates after first and second kidney transplantation according to the donor type – standard criteria or expanded criteria donors.Material and methods. From 2007 till 2019 we performed 1459 kidney transplantations. The comparison study of outcomes of first (n=196) and second (n=143) kidney transplantations from standard criteria (n=245) and expanded criteria (n=94) donors was made.Results. There were no significant differences in a 1-year patient survival according to the donor type (98% and 95%, p=0.13). A 5-year recipient survival was significantly poorer after kidney transplantation from expanded criteria donors (97.6% and 88%, p=0.01). There were no significant differences in 1-year and 5-year graft survival rates according to the order of transplantation (p=0.21 and p=0.36). We found no significant difference in 1-year recipient survival after kidney transplantation from expanded criteria donors according to the order of transplantation (p=0.50). A 5-year recipient survival was significantly difference poorer after second kidney transplantation from expanded criteria donors (p=0.04). One-year and 5-year graft survival rates were significantly lower after kidney transplantation from expanded criteria donors (94%, 88% vs 86%, 65%, p=0.0025 and p=0.0011, respectively). One-year and 5-year survival rates were higher after first kidney transplantation from standard criteria donors in comparison with second kidney transplantation (p=0.052 and p=0.02, statistically significant in both cases). Analyzing outcomes of kidney transplantation from expanded criteria donors we found 1-year and 5-year graft survivals to be higher after first kidney transplantation comparing with second kidney transplantation (p=0.030 and p=0.018, statistically significant in both cases).Conclusion. In case of second organ transplantation, it is reasonable to use organs from standard criteria donors.

Formation of an expanded criteria base for managing the effectiveness of the most important elements of advanced space systems for monitoring the Earth's gravitational field

В статье рассматриваются подходы к формированию критериальной базы оценки эффективности при проектировании перспективных космических систем на примере космических систем мониторинга гравитационного поля Земли. Сформулированы основные требования к созданию критериальной базы. Дано определение критерия и обобщенного критерия эффективности применительно к элементам перспективных космических систем. Рассмотрены общие и частные критерии эффективности перспективных космических систем в зависимости от назначения конкретной системы (оборонного применения, гражданские, многоцелевые). The article considers approaches to the formation of a criteria base for evaluating the effectiveness of the design of advanced space systems on the example of space systems for monitoring the Earth's gravitational field. The main requirements for creating a criteria base are formulated. The definition of the criterion and the generalized criterion of efficiency in relation to the elements of advanced space systems is given. General and specific criteria for the effectiveness of advanced space systems are considered, depending on the purpose of a particular system (defense, civil, multi-purpose).