The correlation between the expression levels of vitamin D receptor in bile duct epithelial cells and the prognosis of biliary atresia / 国际儿科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the expression of vitamin D receptor(VDR)in biliary epithelial cells of children with biliary atresia(BA)and explore the correlation between VDR epression levels and clinical pathological prognosis.Methods:A total of 48 BA patients who underwent Kasai surgery in the Pediatric Surgery Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University from January 2017 to December 2020 with confirmed pathological results were selected as the study subjects.Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the expression of VDR in biliary epithelial cells, and Masson staining was used to determine the degree of liver tissue fibrosis.Based on the VDR expression levels, the 48 BA patients were divided into the significantly low VDR expression group(30 cases)and the normal/high expression group(18 cases).Laboratory testing results within 1 week before Kasai surgery and liver shear wave elastography(SWE)data were collected for all patients.Follow-up was conducted for a period of 0 to 60 months after Kasai surgery or liver transplantation, meanwhile, the occurrence of refractory cholangitis and auto-liver survival time were collected.Results:There was a negative correlation between the degree of liver fibrosis and SWE value in children with BA( r=-0.805, P<0.01).In comparison between the two groups, the significantly low VDR expression group had higher SWE values[(20.57±1.28)kPa vs.(18.02±1.41)kPa, P<0.05], higher liver injury biochemical indicators[ALT(215.8±24.7)U/L vs.(182.6±21.2)U/L, P=0.021; AST(165.4±22.3)U/L vs.(139.6±21.4)U/L, P=0.014], a higher frequency of post-Kasai surgery refractory cholangitis(60.00% vs.22.22%, P=0.037), and a shorter median autologous liver survival time(27.00 months vs.36.00 months, P=0.032)than those in the normal/high expression group. Conclusion:The significant decrease in VDR expression in biliary epithelial cells may serve as an indicator of poor prognosis in BA.