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Increased serum glypican-3 is associated with liver stiffness and hepatic dysfunction in children with biliary

Kanjaporn Sirisomboonlarp1, Wanvisa Udomsinprasert1,2, Ellie McConachie1

  • 1Department of Biochemistry, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeleton Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, Bangkok, Thailand.

Clinical and Experimental Hepatology
|March 28, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Serum glypican-3 (GPC3) and liver stiffness are elevated in infants with biliary atresia (BA). These biomarkers correlate with disease severity and may predict outcomes in post-Kasai BA patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Hepatology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Biomarker Discovery

Background:

  • Biliary atresia (BA) is a rare infant liver disease causing bile duct obstruction and end-stage liver failure.
  • Accurate assessment of BA severity and hepatic dysfunction is crucial for patient management.
  • Novel biomarkers are needed to monitor disease progression in post-Kasai BA patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate serum glypican-3 (GPC3) levels and liver stiffness in children with BA.
  • To investigate the correlation between GPC3, liver stiffness, and clinical parameters in BA.
  • To assess the potential of GPC3 and liver stiffness as biomarkers for BA severity.

Main Methods:

  • Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure serum GPC3 levels.
  • Transient elastography was employed for liver stiffness measurement.
  • Seventy-five post-Kasai BA patients and 28 healthy controls were included in the study.

Main Results:

  • BA patients exhibited significantly higher serum GPC3 levels and liver stiffness compared to controls (p < 0.001).
  • Elevated GPC3 and liver stiffness were observed in jaundiced BA patients versus non-jaundiced patients (p < 0.001).
  • Serum GPC3 showed a significant association with liver stiffness and serum total bilirubin (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

  • Elevated serum GPC3 levels are linked to hepatic dysfunction and increased BA severity.
  • Serum GPC3 and liver stiffness may serve as valuable biomarkers for monitoring BA progression.
  • These biomarkers could aid in predicting the clinical outcome for post-Kasai BA patients.
Abstract

Keywords:
biliary atresiaglypican-3jaundiceliver stiffnessseverity

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