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Ornithine breath test as a method to evaluate functional liver volume.
Masaru Aoki1, Yukimoto Ishii, Satoshi Asai
1Department of Surgery, Division 3, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
The Journal of Surgical Research
|March 1, 2005
Summary
This study shows that measuring changes in expiratory 13CO2 levels after L-[1, 2-13C] ornithine administration accurately assesses functional liver volume. The ornithine breath test (OBT) provides a rapid evaluation of liver function post-hepatectomy.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical engineering
- Medical diagnostics
- Hepatology
Background:
- Assessing functional liver volume is crucial for managing liver disease and after surgery.
- Current methods for evaluating liver function can be invasive or time-consuming.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if expiratory 13CO2 levels after L-[1, 2-13C] ornithine administration can measure functional liver volume.
- To utilize a rat model of hepatectomy to validate this non-invasive breath test.
Main Methods:
- Rats underwent 30%, 70%, or 90% hepatectomy, or a control laparotomy.
- L-[1, 2-13C] ornithine was administered intravenously, followed by a breath test.
- Correlations between 13CO2 output (S) or single point levels (SP) and liver weight/body weight (LW/BW) were analyzed.
Main Results:
- The ornithine breath test (OBT) reached a plateau within 6 minutes.
- High correlations were found between S15 and LW/BW (0.952) and SP14 and LW/BW (0.944).
- The test effectively differentiated between groups, indicating its ability to evaluate hepatic injury severity.
Conclusions:
- The breath test using L-[1, 2-13C] ornithine accurately evaluates functional liver volume.
- This method provides a rapid and non-invasive assessment of liver function.