The development of a new bioartificial liver and its application in 12 acute liver failure patients.
OBJECTIVE
Bioartificial liver is a hope of supporting liver functions in acute liver failure patients. Using polysulfon fibers, a new bioartificial liver was developed. The aim of this study was to show whether this bioartificial liver could support liver functions or not.


METHODS
Hepatocytes were procured from swine using Seglen's methods. The bioartificial liver was constructed by polysulfon bioreactor and more than 10(10) hepatocytes. It was applied 14 times in 12 patients, who were divided into 7 cases of simultaneous HBAL and 5 cases of non-simultaneous HBAL. Each BAL treatment lasted 6 hours. The general condition of the patients and the biochemical indexes were studied.


RESULTS
After treatment with bioartificial liver, blood ammonia, prothrombin time and total bilirubin showed significant decrease. 2 days later, blood ammonia still showed improvment. within one month period, 1 case (1/7) in simultaneous group died while in non-simultaneous group 2 cases (2/5) died. The difference was significant. Mortality rate was 25 %.


CONCLUSIONS
The constructed bioartificial liver can support liver functions in acute liver failure. The simultaneous HBAL is better than non-simultaneous HBAL.
Ding
Yi-Tao
YT
Hepatobiliary Surgical Department, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Medical College in Nanjing University, Zhongshan road, 321, Nanjing, 210008, Jiangsu Province, China. xqx008@hotmail.com
Qiu
Yu-Dong
YD
Chen
Zhong
Z
Xu
Qing-Xiang
QX
Zhang
He-Yuan
HY
Tang
Qing
Q
Yu
De-Cai
DC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000641:Ammonia / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D019164:Liver, Artificial; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D013552:Swine; D013556:Swine, Miniature
D000641:Ammonia; D001663:Bilirubin