Serum bile acids in liver transplantation: early indicator for acute rejection and monitor for antirejection therapy

We studied the course of serum bile acids to investigate its reliability in the diagnosis of acute rejection after liver transplantation in relation to pathohistological findings. Serum bile acid concentration, bilirubin and transaminases were measured in 41 patients who underwent liver transplantat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Transplant international 2001-12, Vol.14 (6), p.429-437
Main Authors: JANSSEN, Hermann, LANGE, Reinhard, ERHARD, Jochen, TESTA, Giuliano, MALAGO, Massimo, JANSSEN, Petra, EIGLER, Friedrich W, BROELSCH, Christoph E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acute Disease
Adult
Aged
Bile Acids and Salts - blood
Biological and medical sciences
Graft Rejection - diagnosis
Graft Rejection - prevention & control
Humans
Infection - blood
Liver Transplantation
Liver, biliary tract, pancreas, portal circulation, spleen
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Sensitivity and Specificity
Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases
Surgery of the digestive system
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Summary:We studied the course of serum bile acids to investigate its reliability in the diagnosis of acute rejection after liver transplantation in relation to pathohistological findings. Serum bile acid concentration, bilirubin and transaminases were measured in 41 patients who underwent liver transplantation. Their course was correlated to liver biopsy. Group I (n = 19) patients were without acute rejection, whereas group II (n = 22) patients showed acute rejection. Bile acid concentrations in group II showed a statistically highly significant (P < or = 0.001) threefold increase 3 days prior to biopsy. Successful antirejection treatment was correlated with a statistically significant (P = 0.008) decrease of serum bile acid 1 day after initiation of therapy. Patients without acute rejection showed a baseline bile acid concentration at the time of biopsy. Bilirubin and transaminases did not show any statistically significant correlation to acute rejection. Infection did not lead to a significant bile acid increase. Our study shows that serum bile acids monitored after liver transplantation can easily be used to detect acute rejection and at the same time they reflect the success of antirejection therapy.
ISSN:0934-0874
1432-2277
DOI:10.1007/s001470100009