title: Serum markers may distinguish biliary atresia from other forms of neonatal cholestasis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Biliary atresia (BA) is the most serious liver disease in infants. Diagnosis currently depends on surgical exploration of the biliary tree. Noninvasive tests that distinguish BA from other types of neonatal liver disease are not available.
  
  
  METHODS
  To identify potential serum biomarkers that classify children with neonatal cholestasis, we performed 2-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis, statistical analysis, and tandem mass spectrometry using serum samples from 19 infants with BA and 19 infants with non-BA neonatal cholestasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven potential serum biomarkers were found that could in combination classify children with neonatal cholestasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although no single biomarker or imaging test adequately distinguishes BA from other types of neonatal cholestasis, combinations of biomarkers, imaging tests, and noninvasive clinical criteria should be further explored as potential tests for rapid and accurate diagnosis of BA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Hongtao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Malone
authors.forename: Petra Erdmann
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Gilmore
authors.forename: Alan E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Magee
authors.forename: R Reid
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Townsend
authors.forename: Robert O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Heuckeroth
mesh_terms: D001656:Biliary Atresia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015180:Electrophoresis, Gel, Two-Dimensional; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001798:Blood Proteins