BILIARY ATRESIA STUDY (BASIC)

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Biliary atresia (BA) is a progressive inflammatory process involving the biliary tree. As the disease progresses, there is loss of patency of the lumen and obstruction to bile flow. BA occurs in one in 8-15,000 live births resulting in 250-400 new cases per year in the US. Untreated, the disease leads to complete biliary obstruction with cirrhosis, and is uniformly fatal. After a hepatoportoenterostomy (Kasai procedure), children have a variable disease progression with less than 20% surviving beyond the teen years without liver transplantation. Little is known about the factors that cause biliary atresia nor the factors that influence disease progression. A variety of genetic, autoimmune and environmental influences have been hypothesized to be important. Most studies to date have focused on the neonate and young child with BA, yet the older surviving child with BA can provide important information about genetics, as well as, natural history. The purpose of this study is to collect the pertinent clinical information, genetic material and body fluid samples obtained from older infants, children and adults with biliary atresia.