Human erythrocyte polyamine levels after partial hepatectomy.
OBJECTIVE
There are various indices of liver regeneration, but no clinically useful index that reflects the current status of liver regeneration. We assayed human erythrocyte polyamine levels after partial hepatectomy to define the relationship between erythrocyte polyamine levels and liver regeneration.


METHODS
Levels of human erythrocyte polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) were assayed by high-pressure liquid chromatography in 91 patients after partial hepatectomy and in 13 patients after surgery other than partial hepatectomy (controls). Of the patients after partial hepatectomy, 37 underwent hepatectomy of 20% or more of the liver (group A), 27 underwent segmentectomy or subsegmentectomy of the liver amounting to less than 20% of the liver (group B), and 27 underwent an operation smaller in scale than sub-segmentectomy (group C).


RESULTS
The greater the proportion of the liver resected, the greater was the percent increase. In groups A, B, and C, erythrocyte levels of spermidine and spermine increased after surgery compared with the base line, and were significantly higher at 7 or 14 days, decreasing later. The differences in spermidine among the three groups were significant.


CONCLUSIONS
After partial hepatectomy, the erythrocyte polyamine levels, especially the level of spermidine, were related to the proportion of liver resected. They seemed to reflect the degree of liver regeneration.
Tsukamoto
T
T
Second Department of Surgery, Osaka City University Medical School, Japan.
Kinoshita
H
H
Hirohashi
K
K
Kubo
S
S
Otani
S
S
D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D011073:Polyamines / Q000097:blood*; D011700:Putrescine / Q000097:blood; D013095:Spermidine / Q000097:blood; D013096:Spermine / Q000097:blood
D011073:Polyamines; D013096:Spermine; D013095:Spermidine; D011700:Putrescine