Global Consequences of Liver Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Liver ischemia/reperfusion injury has been extensively studied during the last decades and has been implicated in the pathophysiology of many clinical entities following hepatic surgery and transplantation. Apart from its pivotal role in the pathogenesis of the organ's post reperfusion injury, it has also been proposed as an underlying mechanism responsible for the dysfunction and injury of other organs as well. It seems that liver ischemia and reperfusion represent an event with “global” consequences that influence the function of many remote organs including the lung, kidney, intestine, pancreas, adrenals, and myocardium among others. The molecular and clinical manifestation of these remote organs injury may lead to the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, frequently encountered in these patients. Remote organ injury seems to be in part the result of the oxidative burst and the inflammatory response following reperfusion. The present paper aims to review the existing literature regarding the proposed mechanisms of remote organ injury after liver ischemia and reperfusion.