Best blood sample draw site during liver transplantation.
BACKGROUND
The present study sought to identify whether there were higher inflammatory cytokine levels in blood samples drawn from the pulmonary artery, radial artery, portal vein, or reperfused graft during each transplantation phase to determine the best site.


METHODS
We examined 39 consecutive patients undergoing liver transplantation for their blood cytokine levels at various sites. Comparison of levels permitted us to select the best blood sample draw site, considering the best site to be the one showing the highest cytokine levels.


RESULTS
During hepatectomy and neohepatic phases, the best site was the radial artery; during the anhepatic phase, the portal vein; and during reperfusion, the reperfused graft.


CONCLUSIONS
The radial artery constituted, an optimal sample draw site, considering the best one to show the highest cytokine levels.
Liver Transplant Unit, Hospital Universitario NS de Candelaria, Tenerife, Spain. javierarranz@telefonica.net
J Arranz
JA
Duran
A Arteaga
AA
González
D Domínguez
DD
García
R Calvo
RC
Falcón
P Sanz
PS
Pereda
J
J
Navarro
S Méndez
SM
Alvárez
I García
IG
Cobaleda
A Aguirre
AA
Jaime
I Arteaga
IA
González
A Varona
AV
Bosque
M Barrera
MB
Gómez
A Soriano
AS
Benítez de Lugo
D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000097:blood; D053583:Interleukin-1beta / Q000097:blood; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative; D011169:Portal Vein; D011651:Pulmonary Artery; D017534:Radial Artery; D015424:Reperfusion; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
D016207:Cytokines; D053583:Interleukin-1beta; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha