Use of quantitative liver function tests--caffeine clearance and galactose elimination capacity--after orthotopic liver transplantation.

To establish the potential value of quantitative tests of liver function following orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), a total of 100 determinations of caffeine clearance (CafCl) and galactose elimination capacity (GEC) were made in ten OLT recipients early in the post-operative course (days 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12) and later when clinically stable (3-12 months). Values were compared with a reference range in six normal volunteers in whom it was shown that the standard doses of caffeine (125 mg) and galactose (0.5 g per kg body weight) could be given together without interference. In orthotopic liver transplantation recipients initial GEC and CafCl measurements showed no correlation with peri-operative blood loss, donor ischaemia time, initial bile flow or survival. Throughout the early post-operative period, there were wide inter- and intra-individual variations in both CafCl (17-fold range from 0.16 to 2.7 ml.min-1.kg-1) and GEC (2.4-fold range from 5.1 to 12 mg.min-1.kg-1), but the only correlation of test values with standard liver function tests results was between GEC and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase. However, GEC values fell by 19% during periods of acute rejection and there was an inverse correlation of GEC with white cell count probably related to sepsis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)