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Updated: Mar 9, 2026

Determining Bile Duct Density in the Mouse Liver
Published on: April 30, 2019
The molecular basis of jaundice: An old symptom revisited
Silvia Gazzin1, Flora Masutti1,2, Libor Vitek3
1Liver Research Center, Italian Liver Foundation - ONLUS, AREA Science Park, Trieste, Italy.
Abstract:
Increased serum bilirubin level is a widely used diagnostic marker for hepatic illnesses. Nevertheless, mild elevation of unconjugated serum bilirubin (such as in Gilbert syndrome) has been recently demonstrated to correlate with low risk of chronic inflammatory and/or oxidative stress-mediated diseases. In accord, a low serum bilirubin level has emerged as an important predisposing factor or a biomarker of these pathologic conditions including cardiovascular, tumour, and possibly neurodegenerative diseases. Bilirubin possesses multiple biological actions with interaction in a complex network of enzymatic and signalling pathways. The fact that the liver is the main organ controlling the bioavailability of bilirubin emphasizes the central role of this organ in human health.
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