The efficacy of measurement of the serum beta-d glucan in the patients with biliary atresia

The pediatric end-stage liver disease (PELD) score is not a direct index that reflects the degree of hepatocellular injury. Beta-d glucan (BDG) in the portal vein blood is processed by the hepatic reticuloendothelial system. It is possible that the hepatic clearance of BDG may be used as a biological index to assess the liver function. In this study, the relationship between PELD score and hepatic clearance of BDG was made clear in order to study the efficacy of measurement of the serum BDG. This study including 21 patients with biliary atresia (BA) who underwent liver transplantation (LT) was performed. The BDG was measured in the preoperative peripheral vein blood and the portal vein blood at the time of LT. The portal vein blood showed a significantly high level of BDG than the peripheral vein blood (p < 0.01). There was a significant negative correlation between the PELD score and the hepatic clearance of BDG in the 10 patients who were indicated for LT due to liver failure (p < 0.01). The serum BDG can be used as a biological index in place of liver metabolism and should be measured in BA patients as a non-invasive indicator of the degree of progression of liver failure.