Background/aims: Preoperative right portal vein embolization enhances remnant liver function following massive hepatectomy. Several studies have reported an increase in the volume of the left hepatic lobe after right portal vein embolization, but little information exists regarding heat shock protein induction in hepatocytes after right portal vein embolization. The objective of this study is to determine whether heat shock protein is induced in hepatocytes after right portal vein embolization in patients who underwent extended right hepatic lobectomy.
Methodology: Four patients with gallbladder cancer and one patient with intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma who underwent extended right hepatic lobectomy combined with caudate lobectomy and resection of the extrahepatic bile duct after right portal vein embolization were enrolled in this study. Operation was performed 21-36 days after right portal vein embolization. At operation, small liver specimens were taken immediately after laparotomy from both the right anterior segment (embolized lobe) and lower part of the left medial segment (non-embolized lobe) and heat shock protein 70 was induction in these specimens was measured by Western blotting.
Results: Heat shock protein 70 was induced in the left lobe relative to the right lobe in four patients, three of whom had an uneventful postoperative course.
Conclusions: This paper is the first report to show the induction of heat shock protein 70 in the non-embolized hepatic lobe after right portal vein embolization in the clinical cases.