Living Donor Liver Transplantation as Salvage Therapy for Steroid-Refractory Chronic Hepatic GVHD Following...

Hepatic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a rare but life-threatening complication following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Steroid-refractory hepatic GVHD carries a high risk of mortality with limited salvage options. Liver transplantation after HSCT poses unique challenges due to dual alloimmunity and is rarely pursued, particularly in pediatric patients. We report a pediatric patient with steroid-refractory chronic hepatic GVHD successfully treated with living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) from a parental donor.

A 13-year-old male underwent allogeneic HSCT for idiopathic severe aplastic anemia and developed progressive chronic hepatic GVHD characterized by ductopenia and severe cholestasis. His disease was refractory to corticosteroids and multiple additional therapies, including ruxolitinib, mesenchymal stromal cells, infliximab, sirolimus, anti-thymocyte globulin, alpha-1 antitrypsin, cyclophosphamide, and emapalumab. His course was complicated by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), successfully treated with rituximab. Fifteen months after HSCT, and seven months after clearance of EBV viremia, he underwent LDLT from a parental donor. Donor selection preserved the option for future donor-derived EBV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte therapy if needed. Eleven months following LDLT, the patient remains clinically well, with normal liver function, sustained full donor chimerism, and no evidence of recurrent GVHD or PTLD.

LDLT may represent a viable option in select pediatric patients with irreversible chronic hepatic GVHD. This case underscores the importance of early multidisciplinary planning and highlights the absence of liver-specific biomarkers or targeted therapies to guide management. Dedicated research into preventive and regenerative strategies is warranted.