J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 95(3): 179-186, 1994

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Original article

SERUM β-N-ACETYL HEXOSAMINIDASE AS A NEW MARKER OF GRAFT VIABILITY IN CANINE ORTHOTOPIC LIVER TRANSPLANTATION

We investigated the correlation between graft viability and serum β-N-acetyl hexosaminidase (β-NAH), a well characterized circulatory lysozomal enzyme degraded specifically by the Kupffer cell. Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) was performed in 17 dogs; Group I, 1hr preservation and survival beyond 3 days; Group II, 1hr preservation and survival less than 2 days; Group III, 20 hr preservation. Serum β-NAH was compared with AST and TBA. Serum β-NAH (nmol/ml/hr) reached the peak values of 611±125,1227±310 and 3952±685 until 6 hr after reperfusion in groups I, II and III, respectively. AST (IU/L) reached the peak levels of 929±350, 1581±396 and 1945±394 at 24 hr in groups I, II and III, respectively. TBA (μmol/l) reached the peak levels at a time point immediately before reperfusion in group I (37.9±7.8) and II (42.5±8.4), whereas prolonged elevation was still continued even after reperfusion in group III. AST gave significant separation only after 24 hr (p＜0.01) between groups I and II and at 15 min (p＜0.01) between groups I and III. In contrast β-NAH and TBA showed slignificant separation between groups I and II at 4 hr (p＜0.01) and between groups I and III at 15 min (p＜0.01). These results suggest that serum β-NAH is an early, sensitive marker of graft function reflecting both hepatic cellular damage and functional recovery of the reticuloendothelial system.

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