title: The aminopyrine breath test predicts the outcome of hepatic transplantation in pigs.
abstract: The aminopyrine breath test has been performed on Day 1 and Day 7 in pigs following experimental liver allografting. The results show that at 24 hr after surgery there was a significant reduction in liver function in all animals as measured by the elimination rate constant of 14CO2 in the breath. This was very profound in the group that died within 5 days (0.09 +/- 0.01 hr-1) and was significantly different from the group that survived (0.16 +/- 0.01 hr-1). There appears to be a critical value of the elimination rate constant (= 0.12 hr-1) which predicts death within 5 days. These results would justify a trial of the aminopyrine breath test in patients after liver transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Cape Town, Observatory, South Africa.
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Oakland
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hickman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Terblanche
mesh_terms: D000632:Aminopyrine / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D001944:Breath Tests; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D000632:Aminopyrine