Hepatic transplantation survival: correlation with adenine nucleotide level in donor liver

The hypothesis was tested that human donor livers with higher ATP content and energy charge achieve better results after hepatic transplantation. Biopsies were obtained from 25 donor livers immediately prior to implantation and analyzed for adenine nucleotides using high-performance liquid chromatography. The results were correlated with organ histology, transplant function and outcome. Significantly higher concentrations of ATP (4.22 +/- 2.87 vs. 0.71 +/- 0.69 nmoles per mg protein, p less than 0.01), ADP (8.75 +/- 2.96 vs. 4.49 +/- 1.95 nmoles per mg protein, p less than 0.01) and energy charge (0.43 +/- 0.15 vs. 0.21 +/- 0.04, p less than 0.02) were found in successful (n = 20) relative to failed (n = 5) livers. No significant differences were found in AMP, xanthine or hypoxanthine for the two groups, although the average values were higher in failed livers. Fifteen recipients with liver ATP concentration above 2 nmoles per mg protein and energy charge above 0.3 recovered well. Five other successful patients with lower ATP concentration (0.70 +/- 0.39 nmoles per mg protein) and energy charge (0.20 +/- 0.03) had postoperative courses complicated by infection or prolonged hyperbilirubinemia. In five patients whose livers failed, all had low ATP content and energy charge. Of these, three received a replacement liver and two died shortly after the transplantation. The study demonstrates a direct correlation between high ATP content and good posttransplant outcome.