Granulocyte accumulation in the transplanted liver does not correlate with clinical and histologic evidence of dysfunction

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. To evaluate the role of granulocytes in reperfusion injury after liver transplantation. The authors injected radiolabeled granulocytes to determine if human liver graft outcome could be correlated with granulocyte accumulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Pure granulocyte suspension was prepared from eight patients 12 to 24 hours after orthotopic liver transplantation. The granulocytes were labeled with indium- 111 (¹¹¹In) oxine and reinjected. Total body radionuclide images were performed. Liver uptake of granulocytes was compared with biochemical and histologic evidence of liver injury. RESULTS. No correlation was found between liver uptake of granulocytes, as measured by geometric mean counts, and the biochemical or histologic measures of liver injury. Liver uptake of ¹¹¹In was 9.6% for the patient who had liver dysfunction and 10.4% mean of the study group. This technique did not detect early signs of liver dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS. This investigation supports the premise that granulocytes do not play a major role in reperfusion injury of the newly transplanted liver graft.