title: The emerging role of transport systems in liver function tests.
abstract: Liver function tests are of critical importance for the management of patients with severe or terminal liver disease. They are also used as prognostic tools for planning liver resections. In recent years many transport systems have been identified that also transport substances employed in liver function tests. Such substances include endogenous bilirubin or exogenously administered indocyanine green, agents for magnetic resonance imaging, agents for single photon emission computed tomography or agents for breath tests. The increasing functional and molecular information on the respective transport systems should improve the management and as a result the outcome of patients scheduled for liver surgery or transplantation. To achieve the latter goal, clinical studies that assess individual patients' liver function over the course of their disease with liver function tests are needed to firmly establish and validate recently introduced and novel liver function markers.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland. bstieger@kpt.uzh.ch
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stieger
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heger
authors.forename: Wilmar
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: de Graaf
authors.forename: Gustav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paumgartner
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van Gulik
mesh_terms: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001944:Breath Tests; D048550:Hepatic Insufficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008111:Liver Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D027361:Organic Anion Transporters / Q000378:metabolism*; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000378:metabolism; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; D015415:Biomarkers; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D027361:Organic Anion Transporters; D020033:Protein Isoforms