CONVENTIONAL AND QUANTITATIVE LIVER-FUNCTION TESTS AFTER HEPATIC TRANSPLANTATION - A PROSPECTIVE LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP

In long-term survivors of liver transplantation, hepatic function is o bviously of vital importance. Therefore, we prospectively performed co nventional and quantitative liver function tests in patients who had s urvived a first transplantation for at least 4 gears. Compared to 6 mo nths after transplantation, serum bilirubin concentration and gamma GT activity were significantly lower after 3, 4, and 5 years (bilirubin 1.2 +/- 0.2 mg/dl at 6 months vs 1.0 +/- 0.1, 1.0 +/- 0.2, and 0.8 +/- 0.1 mg/dl respectively; gamma GT 106 +/- 33 U/l al 6 months vs 56 +/- 17, 67 +/- 35, 39 +/- 10 U/l respectively). At these points in time, blood levels of cyclosporin A were also significantly lower. Other par ameters of liver cell function and Liver cell integrity (AP, AST, ALT, GLDH, total protein, thromboplastin time, partial thromboplastin time ) were unchanged overtime. Serial quantitative liver function tests (i ndocyanine green half-life, galactose elimination capacity lidocaine h alf-life, and MEGX formation) also remained stable, Thus, ale conclude that hepatic function remains stable in long-term survivors of liver transplantation for at least several years.