Brief Reports
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2005. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 21, 2005; 11(31): 4886-4890
Published online Aug 21, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i31.4886
There is no association between K469E ICAM-1 gene polymorphism and biliary atresia
Paisarn Vejchapipat, Naruemol Jirapanakorn, Nutchanart Thawornsuk, Apiradee Theamboonlers, Voranush Chongsrisawat, Soottiporn Chittmittrapap, Yong Poovorawan
Paisarn Vejchapipat, Soottiporn Chittmittrapap, Pediatric Surgery Unit, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Naruemol Jirapanakorn, Nutchanart Thawornsuk, Apiradee Theamboonlers, Voranush Chongsrisawat, Yong Poovorawan, Center of Excellence in Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the Thailand Research Fund
Correspondence to: Professor Yong Poovorawan, MD, Center of Excellence in Viral Hepatitis Research, Department of Pediatrics, Chulalongkorn Hospital, Rama IV Road, Patumwan, Bangkok 10330 Thailand. yong.p@chula.ac.th
Telephone: +66-2-256-4909 Fax: +66-2-256-4929
Received: January 11, 2005
Revised: January 23, 2005
Accepted: January 26, 2005
Published online: August 21, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To determine whether there was an association between inter-cellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) gene polymorphism and biliary atresia (BA), and to investigate the relationship between serum soluble ICAM-1 (sICAM-1) and clinical outcome in BA patients after surgical treatment.

METHODS: Eighty-three BA patients and 115 normal controls were genotyped. K469E ICAM-1 polymorphism was analyzed using PCR assay. Serum sICAM-1 was determined using ELISA method from 72 BA patients. In order to evaluate the association between these variables and their clinical outcome, the patients were categorized into two groups: patients without jaundice and those with persistent jaundice.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences between BA patients and controls in terms of gender, K469E ICAM-1 genotypes, and alleles. The proportion of patients having serum sICAM-1 ≥3 500 ng/mL in persistent jaundice group was significantly higher than that in the other group. In addition, there was no association between K469E ICAM-1 polymorphism and the status of jaundice in BA patients after Kasai operation.

CONCLUSION: ICAM-1 possibly plays an important and active role in the disease progression. However, the process is not associated with genetic variation of K469E ICAM-1 polymorphism.

Keywords: Biliary atresia, Adhesion molecule, ICAM-1