The Association Between Gene Polymorphisms in the Innate Immune Response and the Risk of Infectious Complications and Liver Failure After Partial Hepatic Resection

Partial hepatic resection is a feasible and relatively safe procedure for selected patients with benign or malignant hepatobiliary disease. Liver failure after partial hepatic resection, so-called post-resectional liver failure (PLF), is a dreaded complication with high mortality rates. Patients suffering from PLF experience significantly more clinically significant infections (CSI) when compared with patients without PLF. The liver plays an important role in the body's innate immune defense. Recently, polymorphisms in genes encoding key molecules in the innate immune response (e.g. nuclear factor kappa-B) have shown to be associated with a greater risk of CSI. The presence of these polymorphisms combined with partial hepatic resection might render patients susceptible to the development of CSI, PLF and early mortality after liver resection.