Production of physiological amounts of hemostatic proteins by human donor livers during ex-situ long-term normothermic machine perfusion for up to seven days.

BACKGROUND: Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) is used for preservation and assessment of human donor livers prior to transplantation. During NMP, the liver is metabolically active, which allows detailed studies on the physiology of human livers.

OBJECTIVES: To study the production of hemostatic proteins in human donor livers during NMP for up to 7 days.

METHODS: In this observational study, nine livers underwent NMP for up to 7 days with a heparinised perfusate based on red blood cells and colloids using a modified Liver Assist device. Perfusate samples were collected before NMP and daily thereafter for measurement of antigen and activity levels of comprehensive panel of hemostatic proteins after heparin neutralization.

RESULTS: Within one day, perfusate samples displayed the potential for coagulation activation as evidenced by international normalized ratio and activated partial thromboplastin assays. This was accompanied by detection of substantial quantities of functionally active coagulation proteins and inhibitors, although the specific activity of many proteins was decreased, compared to that in normal plasma. Perfusate levels of hemostatic proteins increased in the first days, reaching a stable level after 3-4 days of perfusion.

CONCLUSION: During long-term NMP of human livers, functionally active hemostatic proteins are released into the perfusate in substantial quantities, but some proteins appear to have decreased functional properties compared to proteins in normal human plasma. We propose that NMP may be used as a platform to test efficacy of drugs that stimulate or inhibit the production of coagulation factors, or to test liver-mediated clearance of prohemostatic protein therapeutics.