title: Factors Determining Bone Mineral Density in Patients with Biliary Atresia after a Successful Kasai Operation.
abstract: Hepatic osteodystrophy is a common complication in patients with chronic liver disease, however, bone mineral status in patients with biliary atresia has rarely been investigated.
  
  
  
  Twenty-nine children with biliary atresia were enrolled in our study and their demographic data, bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine and bilateral femoral neck, and biochemical parameters were measured and analyzed.
  
  
  
  The majority of our patients had osteopenia or osteoporosis over at least one part of the skeleton although none had jaundice. Instead of T helper 1 cell cytokine, interleukin (IL)-4 had a significant negative correlation with BMD of the right femoral neck (β = -0.251, p = 0.027) and left femoral neck (β = -0.299, p = 0.012) independently by multiple linear regression analysis.
  
  
  
  We conclude that chronic inflammation with increased expression of IL-4 may be an important factor for compromised bone health in patients with biliary atresia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Huei
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jiaan-Der
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Man
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. Electronic address: minghuei70@yahoo.com.tw.
authors.forename: Chieh-Chung
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001656:Biliary Atresia / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D001851:Bone Diseases, Metabolic / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000209:etiology*; D011171:Portoenterostomy, Hepatic
chemical_list: D015847:Interleukin-4
keywords: biliary atresia; bone health; bone mineral density; children; cytokines