BACKGROUND: Living liver donation is associated with size-dependent complications. The resectable size and its safety margin should be defined for the safety of donors. The purpose of the present study was to determine if the current partial hepatectomies are done under the safety margin of the resectable size, by measuring asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) function of donor’s remnant liver.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy-four living donors (age 35±11 years) underwent Technetium-99m-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-galactosyl-human serum albumin (Tc-99m GSA) scintigraphy at postoperative week 1. We evaluated the scintigraphic results using established parameters of GSA uptake (LHL15) and its clearance from the blood pool (HH15). Based on the literature, we consider HH15 <0.55 to indicate normal ASGPR function, and 0.55£ HH15 <0.65 to indicate mild impairment. In terms of the hepatic uptake, we consider LHL15>0.93 to indicate normal ASGPR function, and 0.87< LHL15 £0.93 to indicate mild impairment.

RESULTS: The average resected size was 337±170 mL, corresponding to 28±12% of the original donor’s whole liver volume. No donors showed 0.65≤ HH15 or LHL15 <0.87, suggesting moderate or severely impaired ASGPR function. However, larger resection size (35–53%) was positively associated with higher HH15 values (R=0.53, p<0.001). In the range of HH15 (0.35–0.64) among present donors, higher HH15 values did not affect the regeneration volume (R=0.03, p=NS).

CONCLUSIONS: Larger partial resection (≥35% of the original liver volume) may impair postsurgical ASGPR function, but smaller resection (<35%) was considered to be under the safety margin of the hepatectomy. Although mildly impaired postsurgical ASGPR function did not indicate poor prognosis, careful attention may be required for donors undergoing larger (³35%) partial resection.

Keywords: Asialoglycoprotein Receptor, Hepatectomy, Liver Function Tests, Liver Regeneration, Liver Transplantation, Living Donors