epidermal-growth-factor and Biliary-Atresia

Biliary atresia (BA) is a serious liver disease in children. Since transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) are involved in the hepatic reparative process, our objective was to investigate whether serum TGF-beta1 and serum EGF levels were associated with therapeutic outcomes in BA.. Serum levels of TGF-beta1 and EGF were determined with the ELISA method in 67 postoperative BA patients with a median age of 7 years and in 10 age-comparable healthy children. The BA patients were then divided into two groups depending on their therapeutic outcome: good outcome (jaundice-free) and poor outcome (persistent jaundice). Clinical data, serum TGF-beta1 and serum EGF levels were compared between the two groups of BA patients. Correlation analysis of serum TGF-beta1 with serum EGF was carried out. Data are expressed as mean +/- SD.. Serum TGF-beta1 levels of BA patients were higher than those of controls (86.6 +/- 15.7 vs. 75.7 +/- 8.8 ng/ml, p = 0.0362). However, there was no difference in serum EGF between BA patients and controls (133.1 +/- 66.6 vs. 125.4 +/- 88.9 pg/ml, p = 0.744). Further subgroup analysis showed that patients with good outcomes (n = 40) had higher serum TGF-beta1 and serum EGF levels than patients with poor outcomes (TGF-beta1: 91.2 +/- 16.5 vs. 79.6 +/- 11.7 ng/ml, p = 0.002; EGF: 148.5 +/- 65.0 vs. 110.3 +/- 63.4 pg/ml, p = 0.02). In addition, serum TGF-beta1 was positively correlated with serum EGF (Pearson's r = 0.3418, p = 0.0046).. Elevated serum TGF-beta1 and serum EGF levels were associated with a good outcome in BA patients. There was a positive correlation between serum TGF-beta1 and serum EGF. This suggests that the resultant TGF-beta1 and EGF pathways may be involved in the pathophysiological process in postoperative BA.

Topics: Biliary Atresia; Biomarkers; Case-Control Studies; Child; Disease Progression; Epidermal Growth Factor; Female; Humans; Liver Cirrhosis; Male; Postoperative Period; Prognosis; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

In order to investigate pathogenetic theories about the origins of biliary atresia, a model consisting of cell cultures of bile duct epithelium from the extrahepatic ducts of human and bovine origin is presented. The epithelial nature of the cultivated cells was documented by phase contrast microscopy, by electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry (anti-keratin). Inoculation studies of primary human cell cultures showed a cytopathic effect by light microscopy for all tested viruses (adeno, polio, herpes, rubella) except for reovirus type 3, for which a CPE was not demonstrable. A growth stimulating substrate for bile duct epithelial cells is described; among the purified growth factors epidermal growth factor was without effect (EGF), while cholecystokinin (CCK) led to an increase in cell numbers.

Topics: Animals; Bile Ducts; Biliary Atresia; Cattle; Cells, Cultured; Child; Cholecystokinin; Culture Media; Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral; Epidermal Growth Factor; Epithelium; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Humans; Keratins; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning