Can adenine nucleotides predict primary nonfunction of the human liver homograft?

Sixty-eight primary liver grafts were analyzed to see whether adenine nucleotides (AN: ATP, ADP, and AMP) or purine catabolites (PC: adenosine, inosine, hypoxanthine, and xanthine) of tissue or effluent can predict primary graft nonfunction.AN, PC, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, oxidized form (NAD + ) of the tissue before (pretransplant) and after graft reperfusion (posttransplant) and of the effluent were analyzed.The graft outcome was classified into two groups (group A: successful, n = 64; group B: primary nonfunctioning, n = 4).No significant differences were observed in pretransplant measurements between groups A and B, whereas ATP, ADP, total AN, total AN + total PC (T) and NAD + , in post-transplant tissues, were significantly higher in group A. Xanthine in the effluent was significantly higher in group B than in group A. ATP, ADP, total AN, T, and NAD + in post-transplant tissue were significantly associated with primary graft nonfunction by logistic regression analysis.