INTRODUCTION Biliary atresia is the leading cause of liver transplantation in children. It affects 1:15,000 in Denmark. With a national birth rate of 60,000, four children are born every year with biliary atresia. Early correction of biliary obstruction is essential to prevent fatal biliary cirrhosis. The Danish Health and Medicines Authority (DHMA) demands diagnostic evaluation of children wit...

The biliary tree consists of intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts and is lined by biliary epithelial cells (or cholangiocytes). There are also peribiliary glands around the intrahepatic large bile ducts and extrahepatic bile ducts. The biliary tree is a conduit of bile secreted by hepatocytes and biliary epithelial cells and also of the peribiliary glands and has several physiological roles...

Biliary atresia is a progressive obliterative cholangiopathy, but the etiology of this disorder remains uncertain. Identifying genes specifically expressed in biliary atresia and analyzing the pattern of expression may lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis. Liver tissues were taken from a recipient with biliary atresia and a normal donor during liver transplantation. Total RNA was ...