title: An algorithm that predicts the viability and the yield of human hepatocytes isolated from remnant liver pieces obtained from liver resections.
abstract: Isolated human primary hepatocytes are an essential in vitro model for basic and clinical research. For successful application as a model, isolated hepatocytes need to have a good viability and be available in sufficient yield. Therefore, this study aims to identify donor characteristics, intra-operative factors, tissue processing and cell isolation parameters that affect the viability and yield of human hepatocytes. Remnant liver pieces from tissue designated as surgical waste were collected from 1034 donors with informed consent. Human hepatocytes were isolated by a two-step collagenase perfusion technique with modifications and hepatocyte yield and viability were subsequently determined. The accompanying patient data was collected and entered into a database. Univariate analyses found that the viability and the yield of hepatocytes were affected by many of the variables examined. Multivariate analyses were then carried out to confirm the factors that have a significant relationship with the viability and the yield. It was found that the viability of hepatocytes was significantly decreased by the presence of fibrosis, liver fat and with increasing gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase activity and bilirubin content. Yield was significantly decreased by the presence of liver fat, septal fibrosis, with increasing aspartate aminotransferase activity, cold ischemia times and weight of perfused liver. However, yield was significantly increased by chemotherapy treatment. In conclusion, this study determined the variables that have a significant effect on the viability and the yield of isolated human hepatocytes. These variables have been used to generate an algorithm that can calculate projected viability and yield of isolated human hepatocytes. In this way, projected viability can be determined even before isolation of hepatocytes, so that donors that result in high viability and yield can be identified. Further, if the viability and yield of the isolated hepatocytes is lower than expected, this will highlight a methodological problem that can be addressed.
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral, Transplantation, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery, Grosshadern Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Serene M L
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Tissue Bank, Department of General, Visceral, Transplantation, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery, Grosshadern Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Celine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schelcher
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Grosshadern Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Rüdiger P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Laubender
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral, Transplantation, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery, Grosshadern Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Natalja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fröse
authors.affiliation: Tissue Bank, Department of General, Visceral, Transplantation, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery, Grosshadern Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Reinhard M K
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Thasler
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral, Transplantation, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery, Grosshadern Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Schiergens
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Grosshadern Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mansmann
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral, Transplantation, Vascular and Thoracic Surgery, Grosshadern Hospital, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Thasler
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000465:Algorithms; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017364:Collagenases / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; C554782:gamma-glutamyltransferase, human; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D017364:Collagenases; D001663:Bilirubin