Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis With Elevated Cytokines Related to Macrophage Activation After Liver Transplantation for Autoimmune Hepatitis: A Case Report

•We report a case of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).•HLH is a rare and intractable complication of liver transplantation.•It is characterized by macrophage activation and hypercytokinemia.•Cytokines related to macrophage activation were evaluated for the first time when HLH occurred after...

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Published in:Transplantation proceedings 2023-10, Vol.55 (8), p.1946-1950
Main Authors: Nakanuma, Shinichi, Gabata, Ryosuke, Okazaki, Mitsuyoshi, Seki, Akihiro, Hosokawa, Kohei, Yokoyama, Tadafumi, Katano, Kaoru, Sugita, Hiroaki, Tokoro, Tomokazu, Takada, Satoshi, Makino, Isamu, Taniguchi, Takumi, Harada, Kenichi, Yagi, Shintaro
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:•We report a case of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH).•HLH is a rare and intractable complication of liver transplantation.•It is characterized by macrophage activation and hypercytokinemia.•Cytokines related to macrophage activation were evaluated for the first time when HLH occurred after liver transplantation.•Cytokine analysis results at HLH onset were consistent with macrophage activation. Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare but lethal complication of liver transplantation (LT). HLH is characterized by pathologic macrophage activation with hypercytokinemia, excessive inflammation, and tissue destruction, resulting in progressive organ dysfunction. HLH is also known as macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) when complicated by rheumatic or autoinflammatory diseases. Measuring several serum cytokines could be helpful in diagnosing HLH and MAS. Cytokines related to macrophage activation: neopterin, interleukin-18 (IL-18), and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptors (sTNF-R) I and II have not been assessed in patients with HLH complicated by LT. In this case, these cytokines were evaluated in the perioperative period of LT. The patient was a 24-year-old woman who underwent living-donor LT for acute worsening of autoimmune hepatitis. On postoperative day 12, the patient was diagnosed with HLH on the basis of the criteria. Plasma exchange, steroid pulse therapy, intravenous immunoglobulin and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor effectively inhibited progression to lethal HLH. When HLH occurred after LT, cytokine analysis showed that neopterin, IL-18, sTNFR-I, and II were elevated: cytokine storm. Of note, cytokine analysis on hospital admission also revealed elevated cytokine levels. Particularly, IL-18 levels were markedly elevated, suggesting that activation of the innate immune system was involved. These results revealed that a cytokine storm and macrophage activation developed before LT. Based on these findings, cytokine analysis related to macrophage activation may be useful for diagnosing and predicting HLH and MAS in patients with LT.
ISSN:0041-1345
1873-2623
DOI:10.1016/j.transproceed.2023.06.011