Association of circulating osteopontin levels with clinical outcomes in postoperative biliary atresia.
OBJECTIVE
Biliary atresia (BA) is one of the most serious liver disorders in children. The aims of the present study were to investigate circulating levels of osteopontin in BA children compared with healthy controls and to evaluate the relationship between circulating osteopontin and therapeutic outcome of BA patients.


METHODS
Fifty-nine BA patients post-Kasai operation and 13 healthy children were recruited. The patients were divided into two groups according to their serum total bilirubin levels (TB < 2, jaundice-free vs. TB ≥ 2 mg/dL, persistent jaundice) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT < 45, normal ALT vs. ALT ≥ 45 IU/L, elevated ALT). Plasma osteopontin levels were analyzed using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
The circulating osteopontin was higher in BA children compared with that of healthy controls (146.9 ± 19.1 vs. 28.0 ± 8.4 ng/mL, P = 0.001). The BA patients with persistent jaundice had more increased plasma osteopontin levels than those without jaundice (157.8 ± 47.9 vs. 27.5 ± 6.4 ng/mL, P = 0.001). Furthermore, plasma osteopontin levels in BA patients with elevated ALT were significantly higher than those with normal ALT (103.2 ± 29.2 vs. 24.5 ± 7.9 ng/mL, P = 0.01). In addition, circulating osteopontin was positively correlated with serum total bilirubin (r = 0.526, P < 0.001) and with serum ALT (r = 0.575, P < 0.001). Subsequent analysis showed that the BA patients with portal hypertension had more elevated plasma osteopontin compared to those without portal hypertension (116.7 ± 31.1 vs. 19.5 ± 9.3 ng/mL, P = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Increased circulating osteopontin was associated with the development of hepatic dysfunction and portal hypertension in BA patients. Circulating osteopontin may serve as a possible marker reflecting disease severity and monitoring the disease progression in postoperative BA patients.
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Rama IV Road, Patumwan, Bangkok, Thailand. Sittisak.H@chula.ac.th
Sittisak
S
Honsawek
Paisarn
P
Vejchapipat
Voranush
V
Chongsrisawat
Nutchanart
N
Thawornsuk
Yong
Y
Poovorawan
D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D019540:Area Under Curve; D001656:Biliary Atresia / Q000097:blood* / Q000601:surgery*; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053495:Osteopontin / Q000097:blood*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012372:ROC Curve; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D053495:Osteopontin; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D001663:Bilirubin