Evaluation of Immune Function in Biliary Atresia Children With Prolonged Jaundice

Null hypothesis of this study: Biliary atresia patients with cholestatic jaundice do not have systemic immunity defect.

Biliary atresia patients with cholestatic jaundice were noted to have increased incidence of infectious complications. Previous animal models of bile duct ligation with acute jaundice ever demonstrated impairment of both humoral and cellular immune function. We performed the immunity study in biliary atresia patients due to the lack of comprehensive systemic immunity study in pediatric cholestatic model. Systemic humoral immunity (total serum IgG, IgA, IgM, C3 and C4), specific cellular immunity (lymphocyte classification, mitogen response, cytokines level after PHA stimulation test), and non-specific cellular immunity (absolute neutrophil count, PMN CD11b/CD18 expression level, PMN superoxide release function, and PMN phagocytosis function) were tested. Association with serum bilirubin level, nutritional status and blood biochemical values were tested to see the relation between systemic immune function and cholestatic jaundice.