Factors Determining Bone Mineral Density in Patients with Biliary Atresia after a Successful Kasai Operation

Background Hepatic osteodystrophy is a common complication in patients with chronic liver disease, however, bone mineral status in patients with biliary atresia has rarely been investigated. Methods Twenty-nine children with biliary atresia were enrolled in our study and their demographic data, bone mineral density (BMD) of lumbar spine and bilateral femoral neck, and biochemical parameters were measured and analyzed. Results The majority of our patients had osteopenia or osteoporosis over at least one part of the skeleton although none had jaundice. Instead of T helper 1 cell cytokine, interleukin (IL)-4 had a significant negative correlation with BMD of the right femoral neck (β = −0.251, p  = 0.027) and left femoral neck (β = −0.299, p  = 0.012) independently by multiple linear regression analysis. Conclusion We conclude that chronic inflammation with increased expression of IL-4 may be an important factor for compromised bone health in patients with biliary atresia.