Fig. 4: Factors related to the long-term survival of human split livers.

Perfusate lactate levels were not significantly different between livers that survived >7 days or ≤7 days (A). Bile production and Factor-V levels were significantly higher in the livers that survived >7 days (bile: median 3.674 ml/h/kg liver [IQR 2.247–4.576 ml/h/kg liver] vs 1.714 ml/h/kg liver [IQR 0.478–2.516 ml/h/kg liver], p = 0.008 at 24 h, Mann–Whitney U Test; Factor-V: mean 47.3 ± 19.9% vs 15.4 ± 12.7%, p < 0.001 at 24 h, unpaired two-sided t-test) (B, C). Prothrombin time was significantly shorter for livers that survived >7 days immediately before and 4 h after splitting (median 54 s [IQR 38–48 s] vs 150 s [IQR 55–91 s] at 4 h, p = 0.015, Mann–Whitney U Test) (D). Oxygen consumption, perfusate urea, bile pH and bile glucose did not demonstrate significant differences between the two groups (E–H). Hepatic artery flow was significantly higher in the livers that survived >7 days for the same hepatic artery pressure (median 615 ml/min [IQR 530–674 ml/min] vs 342 ml/min [IQR 308–405 ml/min], p = 0.002, just before splitting, Mann–Whitney U Test) (I, J). Portal venous pressure was not significantly different between the two groups (K). Portal venous flow was significantly higher in the livers that survived >7 days between days 1–3 after splitting (median 1.030 ml/min [IQR 0.320–1.310 ml/min] vs 0.280 ml/min [IQR 0.220–0.970 ml/min], p = 0.049, 1 day after splitting, Mann–Whitney U Test) (L). All grouped data are presented as median (IQR) except for Factor-V, which was normally distributed and presented as mean (standard deviation), n = 20 partial livers, 9 survived >7 days, 11 survived ≤7 days. Normally distributed data and non-normally distributed data were compared at each grouped time point using an unpaired two-sided t-test and a Mann–Whitney U Test, respectively. *p < 0.05.