Early markers in biliary atresia (EMBA)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Levels of cholesterol precursors and fibrotic markers in serum and fibrotic markers within resected liver at the time of Kasai portoenterostomy for Biliary Atresia
IRAS ID
218075
Contact name
Mark Davenport
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College Hospital
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Cholesterol synthesis is one of the main functions of the liver. We know that in Biliary Atresia (BA), this function becomes abnormal and is a marker of failure of the Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE) - which is the operation of choice to treat BA in the UK.
We hope to study this at the time of Kasai (typically around 4-6 weeks of age) in order to identify if this function is abnormal from birth - and whether abnormal levels early in life may predict failure of the surgery. Similarly - we know that the pattern of liver failure in BA - even after KPE - is 'fibrosis' heavy. We would also like to study markers of fibrosis in serum and liver tissue taken at the time of KPE to identify if there appear to be fibrosis markers present before clinical liver failure is apparent and whether this profile mirrors that in other fibrotic liver disorders.
We will perform our study by analysing tissue and blood samples taken from BA patients at the time of their surgery. These samples have been entered into the KCH Liver BioBank and the Diagnostic Archive of Tissue within the Department of Paediatric Liver Histopathology over the past several years and provide a resource to carry out studies such as this.
The samples will be sent to our collaborating lab in Finland (under Mikko Pakarinen) where they have the necessary equipment and resources to perform this study, as well as analysing samples from their own patients.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/SC/0058
Date of REC Opinion
6 Feb 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion