The efficacy and safety of dual‐therapy regimens of twice‐daily tacrolimus (BID; Prograf) and once‐daily tacrolimus (QD; Advagraf) administered with steroids, without antibody induction, were compared in a multicenter, 1:1‐randomized, two‐arm, parallel‐group study in 475 primary liver transplant recipients. A double‐blind, double‐dummy 24‐week period was followed by an open extension to 12 months posttransplant. The primary endpoint, event rate of biopsy‐proven acute rejection (BPAR) at 24 weeks, was 33.7% for tacrolimus BID versus 36.3% for tacrolimus QD (Per‐protocol set; p = 0.512; treatment difference 2.6%, 95% confidence interval −7.3%, 12.4%), falling within the predefined 15% noninferiority margin. At 12 months, BPAR episodes requiring treatment were similar for tacrolimus BID and QD (28.1% and 24.7%). Twelve‐month patient and graft survival was 90.8% and 85.6% for tacrolimus BID and 89.2% and 85.3% for tacrolimus QD. Adverse event (AE) profiles were similar for both tacrolimus BID and QD with comparable incidences of AEs and serious AEs. Tacrolimus QD was well tolerated with similar efficacy and safety profiles to tacrolimus BID.

Hepatocytes transplantation is viewed as a possible alternative or as a bridge therapy to liver transplantation for patients affected by acute or chronic liver disorders. Very few data regarding complications of hepatocytes transplantation is available from the literature. Herein we report for the first time a case of portal vein thrombosis after intraportal hepatocytes transplantation in a liver transplant recipient. A patient affected by acute graft dysfunction, not eligible for retransplantation, underwent intraportal infusion of 2 billion viable cryopreserved ABO identical human allogenic hepatocytes over a period of 5 h. Hepatocytes were transplanted at a concentration of 14 million/ml for a total infused volume of 280 ml. Doppler portal vein ultrasound and intraportal pressure were monitored during cell infusion. The procedure was complicated, 8 h after termination, by the development of portal vein thrombosis with liver failure and death of the patient. Autopsy showed occlusive thrombosis of the intrahepatic portal vein branches; cells or large aggregates of epithelial elements (polyclonal CEA positive), suggestive for transplanted hepatocytes, were co‐localized inside the thrombus.