Comprehensive gene expression profile of human livers from patients with biliary atresia at the time of diagnosis and the corresponding disease and normal controls

Liver biopsy samples were obtained from 64 infants with biliary atresia at the time of intraoperative cholangiogram. Liver biopsy samples were obtained from 14 age-matched infants with other causes of intrahepatic cholestasis, and from 7 deceased-donor children. GeneChip® Human Gene 1.0 ST Array (Affymetrix, CA) were used to screen mRNAs whose expression was specifically regulated in the livers from patients with biliary atresia. Gene expression profiling: Liver biopsy samples obtained from infantas with other causes of intrahepatic cholestasis were served as diseased control. Liver tissue obtained from deceased-donor children were served as normal control. A molecular signataure of biliary atresia at the time of diagnosis was identified by comparing hepatic gene expression profile from biliary atresia to those from diseased and normal controls.