Analysis of systemic and regional procalcitonin serum levels during liver transplantation.

Elevated procalcitonin (PCT) levels are observed early after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx). The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in systemic and regional PCT serum levels from the time of organ harvesting until the early postoperative phase of OLTx ( n=28) and to investigate the prognostic suitability of postoperative changes in PCT level for the outcome of OLTx ( n=61). Only in seven of 28 donors were higher PCT levels found (0.84+/-0.43 ng/ml). During organ preservation, hepatectomy, and in the anhepatic phase, the PCT levels were in the normal range; in 11 of 28 cases hepatic vein PCT levels were higher during graft flush with own blood than the systemic or portal vein samples at the same time (1.27+/-0.43 ng/ml vs 0.16+/-0.26 ng/ml and 0.23+/-0.15 ng/ml, respectively, P<0.02). The elevation of PCT levels began immediately after graft reperfusion (1.04+/-0.77 ng/ml vs 0.27+/-0.22 ng/ml, P<0.001), and the levels at postoperative day 2 were significantly higher in the case of postoperative complications (30.6+/-19.6 ng/ml vs 4.8+/-3.6 ng/ml, P<0.001).