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. 2023 Jun 1;12(3):341-350.
doi: 10.21037/hbsn-22-442. Epub 2023 Mar 22.

Adipose tissue induces a better liver regeneration after living liver donation in normal weight donors

Aladdin Ali Deeb  1 , Utz Settmacher  1 , Michael Ardelt  1 , Felix Dondorf  1 , Oliver Rohland  1 , Falk Rauchfuß  1
Affiliations

Adipose tissue induces a better liver regeneration after living liver donation in normal weight donors

Aladdin Ali Deeb et al. Hepatobiliary Surg Nutr. .

Abstract

Background: Extrahepatic body fat could be a relevant factor affecting liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential role of body fatty tissue in liver regeneration capacity after liver resection in a cohort of living donors.

Methods: We observed liver regeneration in 120 patients: 70 living donors who underwent right hepatectomy and 50 recipients who got a right graft transplantation. Liver volumetry and body fat analysis were performed based on the computed tomography images with volumetry software. The gain of liver volume was calculated between three points in time considering the absolute and percentage values: before surgery and early (median 10 days, range 4-21 days) and late (median 27 weeks, range 18-40 weeks) after surgery. Pearson's correlation was used to examine the potential correlation between adipose tissue and liver regeneration.

Results: Pearson's correlation showed a significant correlation between the subcutaneous fat mass index (sFMI) and early (r=0.173, P=0.030), as well late (r=0.395, P=0.0004) percental liver volume gain in the whole collective. Under stratification in donor's and recipient's collectives, the effect of extrahepatic adipose tissue appears in multiple regression only in the donor's collective: early (β =0.219, T =2.137, P=0.036) and late (β =0.390, T =2.552, P=0.015) percental volume gain.

Conclusions: Subcutaneous adipose tissue is a positive predictive factor to estimate the goodness of liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in normosthenic donors.

Keywords: Partial hepatectomy; fat mass index; liver transplantation; living donation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://hbsn.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/hbsn-22-442/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparing the central tendency of investigated liver volumes at the already defined three points in time of measurement: 0, for the measurement before the surgery; 1, for the early postoperative measurement: ca. 10 days after surgery; 2, for the late postoperative measurement: ca. 6 months after surgery. *, refers to statistical significance.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Linear correlation between sFMI and percental volume gain of FLR at early (A) and late measurement (B). sFMI, subcutaneous fat mass index; FLR, future liver remnant.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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