Effects of a whey peptide-based enteral formula diet on liver dysfunction following living donor liver transplantation

Abstract

Whey protein, a protein complex derived from milk is well known as a functional food with a number of health benefits. MEIN(®) (Meiji Dairies Co., Tokyo Japan) is a functional liquid-type nutritional diet containing whey-hydrolyzed peptide. In this study, we examined the effects of MEIN(®) on postoperative liver dysfunction in patients who underwent living donor-related liver transplantation (LDLT). Sixteen adult patients transplanted between 2005 and 2011 at our institute were evaluated retrospectively. In MEIN group (n=8), administration of MEIN(®) was started around 14 days after liver transplantation when serum liver enzymes were re-elevated, while MEIN(®) was not administered in the control group (n=8) who did not have postoperative liver dysfunction. In the preoperative clinical characteristics, the model for end-stage liver disease score in the MEIN group was significantly lower than that in the control group. The graft-to-recipient body weight ratio in the MEIN group was lower than that in the control group. Elevation of enzymes in the liver function tests such as alanine aminotransferase and total bilirubin, and C-reactive protein in the MEIN group had significantly improved, and became almost normal values which were the same as those in the control group. These findings suggest that administration of whey-hydrolyzed peptide attenuates the post-transplant liver dysfunction and may avoid an unnecessary liver biopsy.