New Onset “Autoimmune Hepatitis“ in Liver Pediatric Recipients
A. SONZOGNI, M. SPADA, S. RIVA, M. COLLEDAN, A. LUCIANETTI, A. SEGALIN, A. BERTANI, M. L. MELZI, B. GRIDELLI LIVER TRANSPLANTATION CENTER, OSPEDALI RIUNITI, BERGAMO, ITALY A. J. DEMETRIS TRANSPLANTATION PATHOLOGY UPMC, PITTSBURGH PA, USA M. MINERVINI ISMETT, PALERMO, ITALY
INTRODUCTION - de novo “autoimmune” hepatitis is a major problem in pediatric liver transplantation - appearance of autoantibodies is associated with a wide spectrum of clinical / histological features
AIM OF THE STUDY To investigate the impact of “autoimmune hepatitis” as long- term complication of pediatric OLT and links with other post-operative diseases
MATERIALS median age at tx 1.8 yrs. ( yrs.) median follow-up 1.5 yrs. ( yrs.) 113 liver tx in 102 pts
NATIVE DISEASES
IMMUNOSUPPRESSION CYCLOSPORIN 58 TACROLIMUS 29 SWITCH CYCLO - TACRO 15
OLT & AUTOANTIBODIES 16 / 102 pts ( 15 % ) median age at tx 3.7 yrs ( yrs.) median follow-up 1.5 yrs. ( yrs.) median time from OLT 3.6 yrs ( yrs.)
TYPE OF GRAFT TYPE OF GRAFT WHOLE LIVER 7 REDUCED LIVER II-III SEG. 4 IN SITU SPLIT II-III SEGM. 5
IMMUNOSUPPRESSION IN PTS. W/AUTOANTIBODIES CYCLOSPORIN 8 TACROLIMUS 3 SWITCH CYCLO-TACROLIMUS 5
TYPE OF AUTOANTIBODIES 3 ANA + ASMA 5 ANA 4 ASMA 1 ASMA+ ANA + ENA 1 ASMA + cANCA 2 LKM
CLINICAL PRESENTATION median ALT 145 U./l. (n.v. up to 45 U./l. ) range median IgG 1400 mg. / dl. ( n.v mg./ dl. ) range
AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS SCORE * * J. Hepatology 31: , 1999
CLINICAL PRESENTATION IN 7 / 16 PATIENTS LIVER FUNCTION TEST ALTERATIONS PRECEEDED APPEARANCE OF AUTOANTIBODIES MEDIUM LAG TIME 5.5 MONTHS ( 3-10 MONTHS)
PREVIOUS POST-OLT COMPLICATIONS ACR ( 4 ) biliary strictures ( 1 ) ACR & polisierositis ( 1 ) ACR & biliary strictures ( 2 ) ACR & colic stricture ( 1 ) ACR and portal thrombosis ( 1 ) chronic varicella virus infection (1)
CLINICAL FOLLOW - UP CLINICAL FOLLOW - UP NO THERAPY 10 PERSISTENCE OF AUTOAB’S 7 DISAPPAEARANCE OF AUTOAB’S 3 STEROIDS THERAPY 2 PERSISTENCE OF AUTOAB’S 2 STEROIDS & AZOTHIOPRINE 4 PERSISTENCE OF AUTOAB’S 4
HISTOLOGICAL FOLLOW-UP NO THERAPY 1 1 UNCHANGED STEROIDS & AZOTHIOPRINE 4 2 UNCHANGED * 2 IMPROVED 1 ( 4 TO 2 HAI ) 1 ( 5 TO 2 HAI ) * 1 pt. w/autoab’s disapparearance
EBV - STATUS unknown EBV status 9 follow-up <1 month 9 medium follow-up 1.5 yrs known EBV status 68 EBNA-Ig +ve 32 (47 %) EBNA-Ig -ve 36 (53 %) PTS W/OUT AUTOAB PTS W/AUTOAB unknown EBV status 3 medium follow-up 3 yrs known EBV status 13 EBNA-Ig +ve 3 (23 %) EBNA-Ig -ve 10 (77 %)
EBV INFECTION POST - OLT NO AUTOAB NO AUTOAB AUTOAB
ITEMS TO BE FURTHER INVESTIGATED What is incidence of the disease ? What is its outcome ? Which is its treatment ?
ITEMS TO BE FURTHER INVESTIGATED Are there any links with post-OLT infectious diseases ? Are there any links with native pathology ?