title: Significance of CT attenuation value in liver grafts following right lobe living-donor liver transplantation.
abstract: In adult living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT), the assessment of the allograft functional reserve is important for adequate graft regeneration. From March 2002 to December 2003, 30 adult recipients underwent right lobe LDLT. Mean CT attenuation values (CT-AVs) in the graft were measured on unenhanced CT for 6 months after LDLT. The histological features of the graft parenchyma were evaluated with post-operative liver biopsy specimens. Mean CT-AVs after LDLT were decreased significantly from the pre-operative values, recovered to over 60 HU within 6 months. There was a positive linear correlation between the CT-AVs and the receptor index (LHL15) in technetium-99m-diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid-galactosyl-human serum albumin ((99m)Tc-GSA) liver scintigraphy (r = 0.803, p = 0.005). The recipients were divided into two groups according to the CT-AV at one post-operative week (group H; > or =55HU, group L; <55HU). The low CT-AVs, under 55 HU, in group L were prolonged for 3 months compared with those in group H (p < 0.05). The 1-year cumulative survival rate was 94.7% and 45.5% in groups H and L, respectively (p = 0.014). Histological findings revealed that the parenchymal damage was severe in the grafts with low CT-AVs. The CT-AVs in the grafts may be a useful parameter for assessing the allograft functional reserve.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Mie University, Tsu, Mie, Japan. i-taku@clin.medic.mie-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Taku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iida
authors.forename: Shintaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Tomohide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uemoto
authors.forename: Kouichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamakado
authors.forename: Taizo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiraishi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D001777:Blood Coagulation; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D019934:International Normalized Ratio; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000494:pharmacology; D012038:Regeneration; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin / Q000494:pharmacology; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013668:Technetium Tc 99m Aggregated Albumin; C070561:technetium Tc 99m DTPA-galactosyl-human serum albumin; D001663:Bilirubin; D016284:Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate