title: Elevation of serum urokinase plasminogen activator receptor and liver stiffness in postoperative biliary atresia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate serum urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) and liver stiffness in biliary atresia (BA) and examine the correlation of circulating uPAR, liver stiffness, and clinical outcomes in postoperative BA children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-five postKasai BA children and 24 control subjects were registered. Circulating uPAR was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent essay. Liver stiffness was analyzed using transient elastography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BA children had significantly greater circulating uPAR and liver stiffness scores than control subjects (P< 0.001). Circulating uPAR and liver stiffness were substantially higher in jaundiced BA children than non-jaundiced BA children (P< 0.001). In addition, circulating uPAR was positively associated with serum aspartate aminotransferase (r= 0.507,P< 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (r= 0.364,P< 0.001), total bilirubin (r= 0.559,P< 0.001), alkaline phosphatase (r= 0.325,P< 0.001), and liver stiffness scores (r= 0.508,P< 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circulating uPAR and liver stiffness values were greater in BA children than healthy controls. The increased circulating uPAR was associated with liver dysfunction in BA. As a consequence, serum uPAR and liver stiffness may be used as noninvasive biomarkers indicating the progression of liver fibrosis in postKasai BA.
authors.affiliation: Wanvisa Udomsinprasert, Sittisak Honsawek, Napaphat Jirathanathornnukul, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Wanvisa
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Udomsinprasert
authors.affiliation: Wanvisa Udomsinprasert, Sittisak Honsawek, Napaphat Jirathanathornnukul, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Sittisak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Honsawek
authors.affiliation: Wanvisa Udomsinprasert, Sittisak Honsawek, Napaphat Jirathanathornnukul, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Napaphat
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jirathanathornnukul
authors.affiliation: Wanvisa Udomsinprasert, Sittisak Honsawek, Napaphat Jirathanathornnukul, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Voranush
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chongsrisawat
authors.affiliation: Wanvisa Udomsinprasert, Sittisak Honsawek, Napaphat Jirathanathornnukul, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Poovorawan
keywords: Biliary atresia; Jaundice; Liver stiffness; Severity; Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor