Genetic Traits in the Liver Anatomy Between Parents and Children: An Analysis of Liver Transplant Recipients and Living Donors

• Published in: Transplantation proceedings Vol. 48; no. 6; pp. 2084 - 2086
• Main Authors: Jeong, M.J., Hwang, S., Song, G.W., Jung, D.H., Ha, T.Y., Park, G.C., Alshahrani, A.A., Kirchner, V.A., Beduschi, T., Lee, S.G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.07.2016
• Subjects: Adult; Child; Family; Female; Genotype; Hepatic Artery - anatomy & histology; Hepatic Veins - anatomy & histology; Humans; Liver - blood supply; Liver Transplantation - methods; Living Donors; Male; Parents; Pedigree; Phenotype; Portal Vein - anatomy & histology; Retrospective Studies; Surgery; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Transplant Recipients
• ISSN: 0041-1345; 1873-2623
• DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2016.04.013

To date, no significant similarities in the anatomy of the hepatic vasculature have been observed between blood-related individuals. However, we have frequently encountered anatomic similarities between parents and their children; thus, we performed an analysis of the genetic traits in the anatomy of the liver. The study cohort was 330 adult cases of living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT), in which the donor-recipient relationship was child to parent. The subjects underwent LDLT from January 2013 to December 2014. Preoperative dynamic computerized tomographic scans were used to classify the anatomy of the hepatic vasculature. Portal vein (PV) anatomy was classified as typical and 2 variant types. PV anatomy combinations in donor and recipient were typical in 232 subjects, variant in 16, and typical-variant in 82. The PV concordance rate was 75.2%, and the contingency coefficient was 0.130 (P = .017). Hepatic artery (HA) anatomy was classified as typical and 4 variant types. HA anatomy combinations in donor and recipient were typical in 167 subjects, variant in 33, and typical-variant in 130. The HA concordance rate was 60.6%, and the contingency coefficient was 0.058 (P = .294). The sizable inferior right hepatic vein in donor and recipient was present in 44 subjects, absent in 160, and discordant in 126; its concordance rate was 61.8% and contingency coefficient 0.133 (P = .014). There may be a shared but weak genetic trait between parents and children regarding the anatomy of the PV and inferior hepatic vein. This information may be helpful when LDLT is performed between 1st-degree relatives. •Similarities in the anatomy of the hepatic vasculature have been often observed between blood-related individuals.•We analyzed 330 adult cases of living-donor liver transplantation in which the donor-recipient relationship was child to parent.•We concluded that there may be a shared but weak genetic trait between parents and children regarding the anatomy of the portal vein and inferior hepatic vein.