Growth of children with biliary atresia living with native livers: impact of corticoid therapy after portoenterostomy

Effect of medium chain triglycerides enriched formula on growth of biliary atresia patients after Kasai portoenterostomy

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

Biliary atresia (BA) is the most common cause of neonatal cholestasis, negatively affecting nutritional status, growth, and development. It is the most frequent paediatric indication for liver transplantation. The Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE) operation is an effective procedure with favourable outcomes when performed before two months of age. The present study aimed to assess the nutritional status of patients with biliary atresia who underwent the Kasai operation and to evaluate the effectiveness of nutritional counselling using medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) formulas and proper supplementation on their nutritional status, growth, and vitamin D levels.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This prospective observational study included 36 infants with biliary atresia who underwent Kasai portoenterostomy. All patients underwent clinical assessment, anthropometric evaluation, nutritional counselling, and an evaluation of vitamin D levels. Only compliant patients (22/36) were followed up after 3 and 6 months of nutritional counselling.

RESULTS

Z-scores for weight, triceps skinfold thickness, and mid-upper arm circumference improved significantly after three months, and the height velocity Z-score improved after six months of nutritional counselling using an MCT-containing formula and supplementations. Patients who showed an improvement in cholestasis had better responses. The initial assessment revealed low serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in 77.8 %, which increased significantly (p = 0.012).

CONCLUSION

Dietary intervention and supplementation with MCT and micronutrients can improve the nutritional status of children with BA following KPE.

Investigating the genetic profile of familial atypical cystic fibrosis patients (DeltaF508-CFTR) with neonatal biliary atresia

Biliary atresia (BA) is a progressive inflammatory process of the biliary tree resulting in biliary obstruction. No single known genetic or environmental factor has been established to cause BA. Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare cause of neonatal cholestasis, and it has never been described in familial BA cases. Here, we investigate two siblings of first-degree consanguineous parents presenting with neonatal BA. Shortly after the Kasai operation, the proband developed severe respiratory symptoms attributable to a missed CF diagnosis. This was discovered after re-investigating the family history, which revealed a first-degree cousin with CF who did not manifest BA. Afterwards, we identified a pathogenic variant (DeltaF508) in CFTR in both BA-affected siblings along with their cousin. This intrigued us to study the molecular etiology behind the familial BA presentations, which exclusively contributed to BA-pathogenesis in BA-CF-affected siblings and not in their CF-only affected cousin. We applied a multistep approach to investigate the variant profile of both siblings' and their cousin's exomes. We curated the genes whose variants were shared by the BA-CF siblings but absent or heterozygous in their CF-only-affected cousin. Consequently, we identified three candidate genes (SNAPC4, UCK1, and ZHX2) besides CFTR. We propose that these genes act cumulatively or individually in inducing BA-pathogenesis-either by aggravating the biliary damage in the context of CF or increasing the susceptibility of BA as a separate CF-comorbidity. To our knowledge, this is the first report of DeltaF508 in CFTR with familial neonatal BA cases.

Long-term outcomes of biliary atresia patients surviving with their native livers

Portoenterostomy (PE) has remained as the generally accepted first line surgical treatment for biliary atresia (BA) for over 50 years. Currently, close to half of BA patients survive beyond 10 years with their native livers, and most of them reach adulthood without liver transplantation (LT). Despite normalization of serum bilirubin by PE, ductular reaction and portal fibrosis persist in the native liver. The chronic cholangiopathy progresses to cirrhosis, complications of portal hypertension, recurrent cholangitis or hepatobiliary tumors necessitating LT later in life. Other common related health problems include impaired bone health, neuromotor development and quality of life. Only few high-quality trials are available for evidence-based guidance of post-PE adjuvant medical therapy or management of the disease complications. Better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms connecting native liver injury to clinical outcomes is critical for development of accurate follow-up tools and novel therapies designed to improve native liver function and survival.

Impaired Bone Health in Children With Biliary Atresia

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to examine the frequency of rickets and bone fractures and to assess areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in childhood among patients with biliary atresia (BA).

METHODS

We gathered data on all patients diagnosed with BA in Finland that survived to ≥1 year of age between 1 January 2000 to 30 June 2018. Data on gestational age, birth weight, postsurgical medications, and history of rickets and bone fractures were collected retrospectively. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] postportoenterostomy (PE) were collected. Plain radiographs and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements of study subjects were reviewed.

RESULTS

Out of 49 patients, 7 (14%) were diagnosed with rickets during infancy. Clearance of jaundice [odds ratio 0.055, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.00266-0.393; P < 0.01] was a protective factor against rickets. Sufficient 25(OH)D levels were reached 3 months post-PE. Eleven (22%) patients suffered at least one bone fracture (range 1-9) during childhood and adolescence. In DXA measurements, median lumbar spine aBMD anthropometrically adjusted z-scores were as follows: in native liver survivors 0.8 (interquartile range [IQR] -1.9 to 1.4) at 5 and -0.3 (IQR -1.3 to 0.8) at 10 years and for liver transplanted patients 0.4 (IQR -0.2 to 1.1) at 5 and 0.6 (IQR -0.1 to 1.3) at 10 years.

CONCLUSIONS

BA patients have an increased risk for rickets and bone fractures compared with the normal population. Most BA patients have aBMD within normal range between 5 and 10 years of age irrespective of liver transplantation status.