Hemoglobin beta chain fragments in bile correspond with restoration of liver function early after liver transplantation

The visual evaluation of bile after liver transplantation for colour and viscosity is a widely used diagnostic tool to roughly assess transplant function. In analogy to urine diagnostics after kidney transplantation we analysed small peptide fragments in bile of liver transplant patients which could be indicative for the early restoration of excretory liver function after transplantation. Bile from 8 patients was collected sequentially over 10 days after liver transplantation. Bile proteins were then separated by high percentage SDS-page gel electrophoresis. After densitometric quantification bands of interest w…