Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 25, 2025

Implementation of Non-invasive Point of Care Transient Elastography for Evaluation of Liver Disease in Pediatric Populations with Cystic Fibrosis
05:56

Implementation of Non-invasive Point of Care Transient Elastography for Evaluation of Liver Disease in Pediatric Populations with Cystic Fibrosis

Published on: August 29, 2025

321

Impact of sarcopenia in infants with liver transplantation for biliary atresia

Masahiro Takeda1, Seisuke Sakamoto1, Hajime Uchida1

  • 1Organ Transplantation Center, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan.

Pediatric Transplantation
|December 16, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Sarcopenia, a condition of muscle loss, is linked to poorer outcomes in infants undergoing liver transplantation (LT) for biliary atresia (BA). This finding suggests sarcopenia can predict post-LT complications and survival in pediatric patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Hepatology
  • Transplantation Surgery
  • Clinical Nutrition

Background:

  • Sarcopenia is a known predictor of outcomes in adult liver transplant (LT) recipients.
  • Limited research exists on sarcopenia's impact on pediatric LT outcomes.
  • Biliary atresia (BA) is a common indication for LT in infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the clinical influence of sarcopenia on post-LT outcomes in infants with BA.
  • To establish a definition for sarcopenia in infants using computed tomography (CT) measurements.

Main Methods:

  • Defined sarcopenia in infants based on the cross-sectional area of the psoas major muscle (tPMA) compared to healthy controls (n=93).
  • Assessed clinical characteristics and LT outcomes in 89 infants with BA, categorizing them into sarcopenia (n=21) and non-sarcopenia (n=68) groups.
  • Utilized computed tomography (CT) for tPMA measurements.

Main Results:

  • The sarcopenia group experienced significantly longer operation times and greater blood loss during LT.
  • Higher incidences of portal vein stenosis (23.8% vs 4.4%) and post-operative bloodstream infections (28.6% vs 10.3%) were observed in the sarcopenia group.
  • While hospital stay duration was similar, 1-year patient and graft survival rates tended to be lower in the sarcopenia group (90.5% vs 98.5% and 85.7% vs 97.1%, respectively).

Conclusions:

  • Sarcopenia in infants with BA is associated with increased operative complications and potentially reduced patient and graft survival after LT.
  • Sarcopenia may serve as a valuable predictive marker for post-operative outcomes in pediatric liver transplantation.
  • Further research is warranted to explore interventions to mitigate sarcopenia's impact in this population.

Keywords:
biliary atresiainfantliver transplantationsarcopenia

More Related Videos

A Mouse Model of Chronic Liver Fibrosis for the Study of Biliary Atresia09:12

A Mouse Model of Chronic Liver Fibrosis for the Study of Biliary Atresia

Published on: February 3, 2023

2.9K
The Creation of a Rat Model for Osteosarcopenia via Ovariectomy03:52

The Creation of a Rat Model for Osteosarcopenia via Ovariectomy

Published on: February 21, 2025

783

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism01:24

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism

In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses...
90
Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption01:23

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Overview and Drug Absorption

Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
109
Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age01:09

Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age

The upper and lower limb initially develops as a small bulge called a limb bud, which appears on the lateral side of the early embryo. The upper limb bud appears near the end of the fourth week of development, with the lower limb bud appearing shortly after.
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
3.1K
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test01:22

Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test

In clinical practice, the direct measurement of hepatic blood flow to evaluate liver function presents significant challenges due to the intricate and specialized nature of the necessary techniques. Consequently, healthcare professionals often rely on empirical estimates derived from thorough patient examinations and liver function tests to gauge liver health. Among the tools at their disposal, the Child–Pugh and MELD scoring systems stand out for their ability to categorize and assess...
84