title: Significance of the molar ratio of branched-chain amino acids to tyrosine before hepatectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To predict the degree of liver fibrosis and select a safe operative procedure, the correlation between liver fibrotic ratio and preoperative liver function variables were analyzed, and the significance of the molar ratio of branched-chain amino acids to tyrosine determined preoperatively was investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-four patients with hepatectomy were enrolled in this study. Liver tissue specimens excised from the patients were stained by Azan-Mallory's method. The liver fibrotic ratio was measured using an Image Cytometer. The correlation between liver fibrotic ratio and preoperative liver function values, including the serum level of branched-chain amino acids to tyrosine, were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The degrees of liver fibrosis (normal group, 1.4 +/- 0.7%; chronic hepatitis group, 4.5 +/- 2.8%; cirrhosis group, 8.4 +/- 2.4%) correlated significantly with preoperative liver function values such as branched-chain amino acids to tyrosine, hepaplastin test, type IV collagen 7s domain, total bilirubin, indocyanine green clearance retention rate at fifteen minutes, and platelet count. The serum level of branched-chain amino acids to tyrosine showed the most-significant correlation with the degree of liver fibrosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The serum level of branched-chain amino acids to tyrosine correlates well with the degree of liver fibrosis, and this value is a useful preoperative parameter for predicting the degree of liver fibrosis and for selecting a safe operative procedure.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kohashi
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Itamoto
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hino
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakahara
authors.forename: Hirotaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tashiro
authors.forename: Toshimasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asahara
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain / Q000097:blood*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D000597:Amino Acids, Branched-Chain; D014443:Tyrosine