Immune-mediated liver injury: prognostic value of CD4+, CD8+, and CD68+ in infants with extrahepatic biliary atresia.
BACKGROUND
Hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis develop progressively in extrahepatic biliary atresia (EHBA) despite timely surgical intervention.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to define CD4+ helper T lymphocytes, cytotoxic CD8+ T lymphocytes, and CD68+ (macrophages) infiltration of portal tracts and lobules and hepatic fibrosis as possible predictive measures of outcome of infants having EHBA.


METHODS
The outcome of 32 infants with EHBA was correlated to their percutaneous biopsy and postportoenterostomy core liver tissue infiltration by CD4+, CD68+, and CD8+ cells and to the degree of detected fibrosis.


RESULTS
Portoenterostomy cores were heavily infiltrated by CD4+, CD8+, and CD68+, compared with the preoperative liver biopsy (P = .008, .004, and .017, respectively). Infants having favorable outcome had more macrophage infiltration in portoenterostomy core compared with those having an unfavorable outcome (25.66 +/- 29.77 per HPF compared with 11.62 +/- 4.58, P = .000). Mean CD4+/CD8+ ratio was 1.54 +/- 1.37 in those who died within 18 months postoperatively and 0.733 +/- 0.48 in others (P = .021).


CONCLUSIONS
Immune-mediated destruction of portal tracts is an integral part of pathogenesis of EHBA.
Kotb
Magd A
MA
Department of Paediatrics, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. malotfi@menanet.net
El Henawy
Ahmed
A
Talaat
Sahaar
S
Aziz
Mona
M
El Tagy
Gamal H
GH
El Barbary
Mohamed M
MM
Mostafa
Wael
W
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D017734:Bile Ducts, Extrahepatic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D001656:Biliary Atresia / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011168:Portal System / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D011171:Portoenterostomy, Hepatic; D011379:Prognosis; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000097382:CD68 Molecule
D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; C067980:CD68 antigen, human; D000097382:CD68 Molecule