title: Serum hepatocyte growth factor and clinical outcome in biliary atresia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Biliary atresia (BA) remains one of the most intractable liver diseases leading to liver fibrosis. Serum hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been shown to increase in cirrhotic patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible role of HGF in BA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum levels of HGF were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay from 28 BA patients and 25 healthy children. The patients were categorized into 3 groups according to their clinical outcomes (good, fair, and poor): group A (good), jaundice-free patients (total bilirubin [TB] < 2.0 mg%); group B (fair), patients with mild to moderate jaundice (TB, 2 to 10 mg%); and group C (poor), patients with marked jaundice (TB > 10 mg%). Unpaired t test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post-hoc tests were used. Data were expressed as mean and SEM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum HGF levels in BA patients were higher than the controls (P =.02). Subgroup analysis found that there were 12 patients in group A, 8 patients in group B, and 8 patients in group C. The mean age of patients in groups A, B, and C were 5.34 +/- 0.52, 7.45 +/- 1.98, and 5.49 +/- 1.57 years (P >.05). Serum HGF in controls and groups A, B, and C were 0.24 +/- 0.03, 0.28 +/- 0.04, 0.36 +/- 0.09, and 0.56 +/- 0.07 ng/mL, respectively. Serum HGF levels in BA patients with poor outcome were higher than patients with good outcome (P =.02). There was no difference in serum HGF of BA patients with fair outcome compared with other groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum HGF is elevated in BA. Furthermore, BA patients with poor outcome have significantly elevated HGF compared with patients with good outcome. Serum HGF levels may be predictive of prognosis with respect to the progression of liver dysfunction. However, the results of HGF in patients with fair outcome are inconclusive, probably because of the small sample size. Further studies are needed to elucidate the detailed mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
authors.forename: Paisarn
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vejchapipat
authors.forename: Apiradee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Theamboonlers
authors.forename: Rapeepan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chaokhonchai
authors.forename: Voranush
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chongsrisawat
authors.forename: Soottiporn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chittmittrapap
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Poovorawan
mesh_terms: D001656:Biliary Atresia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor