CHPs’ can Help Predict Liver Survival in Biliary Atresia
Biliary Atresia (BA) is a rare and serious liver disease primarily affecting infants characterized by progressive fibrosis of bile ducts in the biliary tree. Left untreated, BA often progresses to cirrhosis and death. While surgical intervention is available in the form of a Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE), many infants who undergo the procedure will eventually require a liver transplant (LTx) to combat longer-term consequences of liver damage.
This pilot study aims to evaluate the utility of Collagen Hybridizing Peptides (CHP) to quantify liver fibrosis among infants suffering from BA having undergone KPE. CHPs specifically bind to degraded collagen which provides a unique visualization of damage within liver tissue samples. This process reveals patterns of collagen degradation contributing to researchers’ deeper understanding of the disease’s progression. Data obtained from CHP imaging facilitates both the identification of fibrotic regions and measure of fibrotic severity. Data analysis allows researchers to distinguish between early and advanced stages of fibrotic progression, helping increase understanding of Biliary Atrasia’s pathophysiology and development of effective intervention strategies.
Additionally, analysis of data obtained from this study was found to reasonably predict the likelihood of a patient requiring LTx in the future. Not only do CHPs help address BA diagnosis and treatment, they also address the challenge that is resource scarcity in organ transplantation. Providing an accurate prognosis enables more strategic allocation of transplant resources to ensure that patients with the greatest needs receive timely treatment.
