Increased serum sclerostin in postoperative biliary atresia.
We determined the relationship between serum sclerostin and disease severity of biliary atresia (BA). Seventy postoperative BA patients and 35 controls were recruited. Serum sclerostin, C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX), and osteocalcin were analyzed using ELISA. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. BA patients had significantly higher serum sclerostin than controls. Serum sclerostin was markedly elevated in jaundice patients compared with jaundice-free patients. Serum osteocalcin was not different, whereas serum CTX was greater in BA patients than controls. BMD of jaundice patients was significantly lower than jaundice-free patients. Additionally, serum sclerostin was correlated with biochemical parameters and BMD in BA. Increased sclerostin levels were associated with liver dysfunction and the severity of BA, suggesting that sclerostin may reflect the deterioration of hepatic function and the outcome in postoperative BA.