L-[1-(13)C] phenylalanine breath test for monitoring hepatic function after living donor liver transplant surgery.

Although metabolic response after partial hepatectomy has been well studied in animal models, there are few studies examining restoration of metabolic capacity after right hepatectomy in humans. The L-[1-(13)C]-phenylalanine breath test (PBT) is a simple non-invasive diagnostic tool which allows measurement of liver functional reserve. We investigated the PBT for monitoring hepatic function in living liver donors by measuring the metabolism of L-[1-(13)C]-phenylalanine ((13)C-Phe).