Studies Open for Enrollment

Biliary Atresia Study in Infants, Children and Adults

The primary purpose of this study is to gather information on children with biliary atresia so that researchers will be able to learn more about what happens to patients after they have had the Kasai procedure to improve the bile flow. Investigators also hope to learn more about the causes of biliary atresia. In addition, blood and urine samples collected from children participating in the study will be used in future research about liver disease. This study is part of a national study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and is being conducted at 10 Biliary Atresia Research Consortium (BARC) clinical sites throughout the country. A total of 250 children and young adults will be enrolled at all the participating sites, including approximately 25 at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

Candidates
Children and young adults 1 year of age and older who have a diagnosis of biliary atresia and have had a Kasai procedure performed are eligible to take part in this study. Patients are eligible for the study regardless of whether they have had a liver transplant, and study participants will include males and females of all racial and ethnic groups.
Boys: 1 and over
Girls: 1 and over

Requirements
Study participants will be seen in the research clinic once a year for 5 years or until they have a liver transplant. Each clinic visit will include a physical examination, as well as the collection of blood and urine samples. Biological parents will also be asked to provide a blood sample for research purposes. If a study participant undergoes a liver transplant during the course of the study, tissue samples from the liver that was removed and not needed for clinical purposes will be collected for research. If a study participant has already had a liver transplant, a single visit will constitute the study and will include a physical examination, review of past medical history, including family history and collection of a blood sample from the participant and biological parents.
Visits: 5
Duration: 5 years

Status: Open for Enrollment

How to Participate
To get started, please contact:
Beverly Bernard, CRNP
412-692-5811

Additional Resources
Liver Disease
Biliary Atresia

Principal Investigator
Benjamin L. Shneider, MD
Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition

Source of Support
National Institutes of Health