Measurement of serum hyaluronic acid as a sensitive marker of liver fibrosis in biliary atresia.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to clarify whether serum hyaluronic acid level (SHA) can reflect the degree of liver fibrosis in biliary atresia (BA).


METHODS
SHA was measured in 44 postoperative BA patients at 7 months to 22 years of age, with sandwich enzyme method (Hy-A 100 kit). SHA was compared with T.Bil (group 1, T Bil < 2; group 2, 2 < or = T Bil < 5; group 3, T Bil > or = 5 mg/dL), fibrosis score (0-6, the number of abnormal values among Alb, PT, ChE, T Chol, Fischer's ratio, prealbumin), and histologic grading (0-IV).


RESULTS
SHA was 499.8 +/- 332.5 in group 3, significantly higher than in the control, group 1, or group 2. As fibrosis score rose, SHA became higher, and SHA in Score 6 (430.1 +/- 366.1 ng/mL) and score-5 (172.9 +/- 141.8 ng/mL) was significantly higher than in the control and other scores, respectively. As the histologic grade rose, SHA became higher, and SHA in grade IV (444.8 +/- 323.5 ng/mL) and grade III (166.0 +/- 70.3 ng/mL) was significantly higher than in the control or other Grades. Serial change of SHA since before HPE was parallel to the clinical course in 8 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
SHA may be a useful serum marker reflecting the degree of liver fibrosis in BA.
Hasegawa
T
T
Department of Pediatric Surgery, Osaka University Medical School, Suita City, Japan.
Sasaki
Kimura
T
T
Hoki
M
M
Okada
A
A
Mushiake
S
S
Yagi
M
M
Imura
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001656:Biliary Atresia / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood*; D007223:Infant; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011336:Probability; D011379:Prognosis; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D015415:Biomarkers; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid