The role of reovirus type 3 infection in an established murine model for biliary atresia.

AIM OF THE STUDY: Infection of newborn Balb/c-mice with Rhesus rotavirus (RRV) leads to cholestasis and biliary atresia. In this current model, Reovirus Type 3 was investigated to ascertain whether Reovirus Type 3 causes the same or similar hepatobiliary lesions as RRV. METHODS: Newborn Balb/c-mice were infected with Reovirus Type 3 Dearing and Reovirus Type 3 Abney on the first day of life. Clinical observation followed for a period of at least 10 days. Cholestatic and/or dystrophic mice were prepared and specimens were taken for histological examination. RESULTS: Infection with RRV showed a 85 % morbidity for biliary atresia as described before. Clinical disease, following an infection with Reovirus T3 Dearing, showed neurological symptoms such as ataxia, and all mice died within 3 weeks. No obstructive or atretic changes of the hepatobiliary ducts could be seen either macroscopically or histomorphologically. 60 % of the mice having been infected with Reovirus T3 Abney showed signs of cholestasis and oily fur syndrome, but almost 15 % recovered from the disease. Although the histological findings did not reveal biliary atresia, inflammation and destruction of bile ducts could be observed. CONCLUSION: In comparison to the RRV infection in a Balb/c-mice model, where biliary atresia could be induced, infection with Reovirus T3 in this model did not lead to biliary atresia. But Reovirus T3 Abney infection revealed inflammatory signs as described in the literature before. The question as to why different hepatotrophic viruses lead to different changes in the murine hepatobiliary tract has to be investigated in further studies.

Effective treatment of infantile choriocarcinoma in the liver with chemotherapy and surgical resection: a case report.

Infantile choriocarcinoma of the liver is an extremely rare entity, and outcome has been fatal in almost all published cases. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report on successful treatment with preoperative chemotherapy. A 10-week-old girl presented with a large liver tumor, ovarian cysts, cardiac insufficiency, progressive hemolytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia. Ultrasound scan and magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) showed the typical pattern of infantile hemangioendothelioma. An emergency laparotomy was performed because of increasing cardiac insufficiency with ligation of the right hepatic artery, tumor biopsy, and subtotal resection of the ovarian cysts. Histology findings showed a choriocarcinoma of the liver and corpus luteum cysts of the ovaries. Serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG) was elevated to 1.600.00 U/L. Chemotherapy was initiated with etoposide and cisplatin. When x-ray examination showed development of lung metastases, chemotherapy was intensified with etoposide, cisplatin, and ifosfamid according to the German Study Group of Extracranial Nontesticular Malignant Germ Cell Tumors in Childhood and Adolescence (MAKEI-96). Serum beta-HCG levels decreased further, ultrasound examination showed significant tumor reduction, and pulmonal metastasis could no longer be found in chest x-rays. After the fourth course, a complete tumor resection was achieved by an extended right hemihepatectomy with adjuvant chemotherapy being administered after the operation. The child has been in complete remission for 22 months. The authors' experience shows that chemotherapy is effective for preoperative tumor reduction.