Abstract
An important role in the development of intrahepatic biliary lesions after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) from cadaveric donors is played by pre-OLT bile ducts injury, which may occur as early as the preoperative period. Our study was designed to determine to whether the changes in donor bile composition are associated with bile ducts epithelial injury.
From 26 donors samples were removed for immunohistochemistry, aminopeptidase M (APM) and bile nucleation time (NT) determination.. An abnormal shortening of donor NT was found: 15.2I4.5 versus 28.0I2.2 days in controls (p< 0.05).
Depending on immunohistochemistry data, donors were divided into 3 groups: 1. Severe injury, 2.Mild injury, 3.Preserved epithelium .In this group APM localized intracellularly and NT was comparable with controls.
The most pathologically shortened bile NT was in group 1, where the APM released from injured cells into bile, acts in a pronucleation manner and makes NT shorter. As a result, APM seems to be a sensitive marker on bile ducts epithelial injury.