title: Expression of fibroblast growth factor 21 in patients with biliary atresia.
abstract: Fibroblast growth factor 21 is a critical circulating adipokine involving in metabolic disorders and various liver diseases. This study was performed to investigate whether FGF21 is also associated with the pathophysiology of biliary atresia. Serum FGF21 levels were measured in 57 BA patients and 20 age matched healthy controls. We also examined hepatic FGF21 mRNA expression and FGF21 protein levels in liver tissues obtained from 15 BA patients undergoing liver transplantation and 5 cases of pediatric donation after cardiac death donor without liver diseases by RT-PCR and Western blotting. Patients with BA showed significantly higher serum FGF21 levels than those without BA (554.7pg/mL [83-2300] vs. 124.5pg/mL [66-270], P<0.05). Patients with BA also had significantly higher FGF21 mRNA and protein levels in hepatic tissues than control subjects. Serum FGF21 expression increased corresponding to the severity of liver fibrosis. Furthermore, serum FGF21 levels dropped significantly in BA patients within 6months after liver transplantation and approached baseline in healthy controls (P>0.05). In vivo, FXR knockout could significantly abrogate cholestasis induced FGF21 expression. FGF21 levels in serum and liver tissue increased significantly in BA patients. In vivo, cholestasis could induce FGF21 expression in FXR dependent manner.
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Dawei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Tianfei
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Conghuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yuhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Zhifeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Bijun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Qimin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jianjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Liver Surgery and Liver Transplantation Center, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: xiaqiang@shsmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001656:Biliary Atresia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000099150:Receptor, Farnesoid X-Activated
chemical_list: D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D000099150:Receptor, Farnesoid X-Activated; C414620:fibroblast growth factor 21
keywords: Biliary atresia; FGF21; FXR; Hepatic fibrosis