Does Oxidative Stress Change During Orthotopic Liver Transplantation

In clinical ischemia/reperfusion injury, damage resulting from oxidative and nitrosative stress is generally considered crucial for graft functioning. Yet, there is increasing evidence that modern clinical transplantation including orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is not associated with elevation of oxidative and nitrosative stress upon organ reoxygenation. We measured two currently used biomarkers of oxidative stress, i.e., 15( S )-8- iso -prostaglandin F 2a (15( S )-8- iso -PGF 2a ) and  cis -epoxyoctadecanoic acid ( cis -EpOA), in human plasma during the entire time duration of OLT in eight patients suffering from end-stage liver disease. No considerable concentration changes of 15( S )-8- iso -PGF 2a  and  cis -EpOA were observed, indicating lack of oxidative stress. Previously, we found in the same patients that nitrosative stress, measured as 3-nitrotyrosine and 3-nitrotyrosinoalbumin. Yet, as 15( S )-8- iso -PGF 2a ,  cis -EpOA and 3-nitrotyrosine are produced both by chemical and enzymatic reactions, the current concepts of oxidative and nitrosative stress require reconsideration.