Clinical pictures of 75 patients with neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis caused by citrin deficiency (NICCD).

We clarified the clinical features of NICCD (neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis caused by citrin deficiency) by retrospective review of symptoms, management and long-term outcome of 75 patients. The data were generated from questionnaires to paediatricians in charge of the patients. Thirty of the patients were referred to hospitals before 1 month of age because of positive results in newborn screening (hypergalactosaemia, hypermethioninaemia, and hyperphenylalaninaemia). The other 45, the screen-negative patients, were referred to hospitals with suspected neonatal hepatitis or biliary atresia because of jaundice or discoloured stool. Most of the screen-negative patients presented before 4 months of age, and 11 had failure to thrive. Laboratory data showed elevated serum bile acid concentrations, hypoproteinaemia, low levels of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors and hypergalactosaemia. Hypoglycaemia was detected in 18 patients. Serum amino acid analyses showed significant elevation of citrulline and methionine concentrations. Most of the patients were given a lactose-free and/or medium-chain triglyceride-enriched formula and fat-soluble vitamins. Symptoms resolved in all but two of the patients by 12 months of age. The two patients with unresolved symptoms suffered from progressive liver failure and underwent liver transplantation before their first birthday. Another patient developed citrullinaemia type II (CTLN2) at age 16 years. It is important to recognize that NICCD is not always a benign condition.

An undescribed subset of neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis associated with multiple hyperaminoacidemia.

Five patients of cholestatic jaundice and multiple hyperaminoacidemias were uncovered during neonatal mass screening for homocystinuria. All five patients had increased plasma levels of methionine, citrulline, tyrosine, threonine, phenylalanine, lysine and arginine. Compared with those of age-matched cholestatic disease controls, idiopathic neonatal hepatitis (n=9) and biliary atresia (n=14), plasma levels of three amino acids, citrulline, methionine, and threonine, were significantly greater, respectively (P<0.01). Liver biopsies examined in four patients uniformly showed diffuse hepatic fatty liver with micro- and macrovesicular droplets without giant cell transformation. Administration of fat-soluble vitamins and formula milk containing middle-chain triglyceride resulted in normalization of amino acid profiles by 6 weeks after the treatment. All liver function tests normalized by 17 months of age.

Quantitative evaluation of cytomegalovirus DNA in infantile hepatitis.

We used a PCR method to develop a diagnostic assay for the detection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNA in infantile hepatitis, which has been suggested to be associated with CMV infection. CMV DNA was detected in 25 (58.1%) of 43 patients with elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels but no jaundice, and no hepatitis B or C as assessed by conventional PCR. None of the samples from 97 healthy infants tested positive for CMV DNA. We assayed CMV DNA quantitatively in blood using a real-time PCR system that allowed reproducible detection of at least 10 copies of CMV DNA. When 1 microg of DNA from each blood sample was used in this system, a good correlation was obtained between the calculated and measured copy numbers of CMV DNA. This system detected CMV DNA in 29 patients (67.4%) with liver dysfunction. Serial studies in patients with liver dysfunction revealed that CMV DNA copy number decreased, ultimately to below 10, as the ALT levels normalized. In contrast, no CMV DNA copies were detectable by the real-time system in any of the samples from control subjects. These results highlight the usefulness of detecting CMV DNA in the diagnosis of infantile hepatitis and indicate that the real-time quantitative PCR assay may be a valuable tool for monitoring CMV-associated infantile hepatitis.

Infantile cholestatic jaundice associated with adult-onset type II citrullinemia.

Adult-onset type II citrullinemia, characterized by a liver-specific argininosuccinate synthetase deficiency, is caused by a deficiency of citrin that is encoded by the SLC25A13 gene. Three patients with infantile cholestatic jaundice were found to have mutations of the SLC25A13 gene. Adult-onset type II citrullinemia may be associated with infantile cholestatic disease.

Cytoplasmic inclusion bodies and minimal hepatitis: fibrinogen storage without hypofibrinogenemia.

A 12-year-old Japanese boy had chronic elevation and fluctuation of serum transaminase levels since infancy, with no signs or symptoms of liver failure. Usual infections or metabolic disorders were eliminated from consideration. No coagulopathy or abnormality in plasma concentrations of clotting factors was found. Light microscopy of liver biopsy specimens obtained at ages 2, 5, and 7 years showed slight hepatocyte disarray and minimal mononuclear-leukocyte lobular inflammation, with eosinophilic inclusion bodies in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes throughout the lobule. These bodies stained with the periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) technique; the PAS-positive material was partly diastase digestible and on immunostaining marked for fibrinogen but not for alpha 1-antitrypsin. On transmission electron microscopy, the bodies were represented by finely granular material contained within membranes and were interpreted as tentatively endoplasmic reticulum. Fibrinogen storage may be manifest as minimal hepatitis without coagulopathy.

Neonatal presentation of adult-onset type II citrullinemia.

Adult-onset type II citrullinemia (CTLN2) is characterized by a liver-specific argininosuccinate synthetase deficiency caused by a deficiency of the citrin protein encoded by the SLC25A13 gene. Until now, however, no SLC25A13 mutations have been reported in children with liver diseases. We described three infants who presented as neonates with intrahepatic cholestasis associated with hypermethioninemia or hypergalactosemia detected by neonatal mass screening. DNA analyses of SLC25A13 revealed that one patient was a compound heterozygote for the 851de14 and IVS11+IG-->A mutations and two patients (siblings) were homozygotes for the IVS11+lG-->A mutation. These results suggested that there may be a variety of liver diseases related to CTLN2 in children.

Urinary bile alcohol profile in infants with intrahepatic cholestasis: identification of 5beta-cholestane-3alpha,7alpha,24,25-tetrol.

Urinary bile acids and bile alcohols were examined in six infants aged between 1 and 6 mo who had intrahepatic cholestasis. Following extraction, hydrolysis and solvolysis, cholanoids were analysed by gas-liquid chromatography and gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The relative ratio of the urinary excretion of bile alcohols to bile acids was very low (0.07-0.22) in three patients with mild to severe cholestasis, whereas the urinary excretion of bile alcohols was 2-4 times greater than that of the total bile acids in three patients with slight cholestasis. The urinary bile alcohol spectrum in infants appears to be quite different from that in adults. Although the major bile alcohol was 27-nor-5beta-cholestane-3alpha,7alpha,12alpha,24 ,25-pentol, comprising more than 50% of total urinary bile alcohols in healthy adults, it accounted for only 35% of total urinary bile alcohols in our patients. In addition, bile alcohols carrying chenodeoxycholic acid type nucleus were detected in our patients by comparison of the retention times and mass spectra with those of authentic standards. The presence of 5beta-cholestane-3alpha,7alpha,24,25-tetrol confirmed for the first time in this study may represent an alternative pathway for chenodeoxycholic acid biosynthesis via a "25-hydroxylation pathway" in early life.

Fine-resolution mapping by haplotype evaluation: the examples of PFIC1 and BRIC.

Loci for two inherited liver diseases, benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis (BRIC) and progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 1 (PFIC1), have previously been mapped to 18q21 by a search for shared haplotypes in patients in two isolated populations. This paper describes the use of further haplotype evaluation with a larger sample of patients for both disorders, drawn from several different populations. Our assessment places both loci in the same interval of less than 1 cM and has led to the discovery of the PFIC1/BRIC gene, FIC1; this discovery permits retrospective examination of the general utility of haplotype evaluation and highlights possible caveats regarding this method of genetic mapping.

Pilot study of screening for Wilson disease using dried blood spots obtained from children seen at outpatient clinics.

Wilson disease (WD) is an autosomal recessive disorder of copper accumulation leading to liver and/or brain damage. In this paper, we describe the results of a pilot study of screening for WD using ceruloplasmin determinations in dried blood samples. Specimens were collected from children aged 1 to 6 years who were seen at local paediatric outpatient clinics in the Miyagi Prefecture. We measured ceruloplasmin (CP) concentrations in 2789 children using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The mean value was 12.4 +/- 3.95 mg/dl blood. Among these children, we identified two (case 1, male, 2 years old; case 2, female, 3 years old) with markedly reduced CP concentrations. Apart from low serum copper concentrations, their biochemical findings were almost normal, as were growth and development. To confirm the diagnosis, we analysed the WD gene and detected A803T/2871delC mutations in case 1 and R778L/G1035V mutations in case 2. We conclude that these children were presymptomatic WD patients. The CP level in dried blood samples from children aged 1 to 6 years appears to be a reliable marker for early detection of WD.

Hepatic and serum bile acid compositions in patients with biliary atresia: a microanalysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with negative ion chemical ionization detection.

Hepatic and serum bile acids in five patients with biliary atresia were preoperatively determined by microanalysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with negative ion chemical ionization detection. The hepatic content of total bile acids was markedly elevated (3079+/-711 nmol/g protein), most of which were primary bile acids. Accumulation of unconjugated bile acids (2.93% to 4.62% of the total) was observed in the liver tissue of these patients, although only trace amounts were detected in their sera. The ratio of glycine-conjugated to taurine-conjugated bile acids was 0.44+/-0.18 in liver tissue and 0.79+/-0.52 in serum and these values were significantly lower than those of controls. This study has shown that the composition of bile acids in serum does not reflect that in liver tissue faithfully. The accumulation of these hydrophobic bile acids may contribute to initiating or exacerbating liver injury in infants with cholestatic liver diseases.

Helicobacter pylori reinfection rates in children after eradication therapy.

BACKGROUND: There are few studies of Helicobacter pylori reinfection in childhood. In the current study the reinfection rate of H. pylori and ulcer recurrence were investigated during a follow-up period of 12 months or more in children who had undergone eradication therapy. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients aged 5 to 16 years (6 with gastric ulcer, 13 with duodenal ulcer, and 8 with nodular gastritis) were studied. Biopsy-based H. pylori tests performed 1 to 2 months after eradication therapy demonstrated that eradication was successful in 23 patients (5 with gastric ulcer, 11 with duodenal ulcer, and 7 with nodular gastritis) and unsuccessful in 4 (1 with gastric ulcer, 2 with duodenal ulcer, and 1 with nodular gastritis). Twenty-three successfully treated patients were observed for a mean of 22 months (a total of 42.2 patient years of follow-up). To assess H. pylori status, all 23 patients underwent a 13C-urea breath test 1 year after eradication therapy. If the test result was negative, the patients underwent the follow-up test once every year thereafter. In successfully and unsuccessfully treated patients, endoscopy was performed if a patient reported symptoms suggesting ulcer recurrence. RESULTS: The initial follow-up 13C-urea breath tests showed that all 23 patients remained free of infection at 12 to 19 months. Among 17 patients, the second test confirmed reinfection in 1 at 28 months. In two patients studied, the third test showed a negative result. The reinfection rate was 2.4% per patient year. Over the follow-up period, ulcer recurrence was found in 2 of 3 ulcer patients with eradication failure but in none of the 16 ulcer patients with successful eradication. The recurrence rate was significantly lower in successfully treated patients than in unsuccessfully treated patients (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Reinfection with H. pylori is rare in children aged more than 5 years, and successful eradication significantly reduces ulcer recurrence. This study supports the benefit of eradication therapy in older children.

Primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma involving the cheek: an infant case with a unique clinicopathologic feature.

We report a clinicopathologic feature of primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in a five-year-old boy with increasing swelling of his cheek since two years of age. Histologically, an infiltrate of atypical lymphoid cells with mature T-cell phenotype and clonality was prominent from the dermis to the subcutaneous tissue of the cheek. Although little effect was seen with aggressive multidrug-combined chemotherapy, therapy with interferon-alpha and steroids achieved a prolonged remission. This patient may provide important clues to understanding the clinicopathologic feature of rare primary CTCL in young children.

Peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for hepatoblastoma with microscopical residue: a therapeutic approach for incompletely resected tumor.

We report a nine-month-old boy with stage III B hepatoblastoma of caudate lobe origin. Surgical resection was attempted following six courses of chemotherapy, but viable tumor cells remained microscopically at resection margins. Subsequently, he received peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT), whose preparative regimen being consisted of carboplatin, etoposide, tetrahydropyranyl adriamycin, and melphalan. Since then, the patient shows no relevance of local relapse or distant metastasis without any chemotherapy. PBSCT for patients with post-operative residue may improve the outcome of advanced hepatoblastoma and worth of a further clinical investigation.

Neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis with hepatic siderosis and steatosis.

Neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis is a heterogeneous disease of undetermined cause. There is an unreported subset of idiopathic neonatal intrahepatic cholestasis with an unusual histological combination of hepatic siderosis and macrovesicular steatosis. The patients were a 34-day-old female and a 39-day-old male with normal birth weights. Their mothers had received oral iron supplement 4-6 weeks before delivery. The patients had obstructive jaundice noticed at the well-baby clinic at 1 month of life. They had high levels of serum galactose and tyrosine, hyperferritinemia. Urinary organic acid and bile acid analyses were negative, and galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase activity in red cells was normal. Liver biopsies showed diffuse iron deposits and macrovesicular fat. By substituting formula milk with lactose-free milk, the patients responded, and had normal biochemical tests within 5 months of life. Follow-up biopsies, at the age of 12 months, showed mild residual fibrosis without iron or fat deposits. They are both well at 3 and 6 years of age, respectively, without biochemical liver dysfunction and neurologic impairment. Prenatal iron-overload might contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease, but further studies are needed to confirm the assumption.

Idiopathic neonatal hepatitis presenting as neonatal hepatic siderosis and steatosis.

Idiopathic neonatal hepatitis (INH) is a heterogeneous disease of undetermined cause. We report a retrospective histologic reevaluation of INH. Sixty patients with INH were reviewed along with 32 biliary atresia (BA) patients. Histologic findings, iron and fat deposits, giant cell transformation, portal fibrosis, and bile duct proliferation were semiquantitatively graded from 0 to 4+. Significant histologic findings were defined as > or =2+. Frequencies of patients with significant histologic findings in the INH group were compared with those of the BA group. Among the patients with significant histologic findings, those in the INH group had significantly less iron deposits (P < 0.01), portal fibrosis (P < 0.01), and bile duct proliferation (P < 0.01) than those of the BA group. A combination of significant hepatic macrovesicular steatosis and siderosis was observed in 10 INH patients but not in any BA patient (10/60 vs 0/32, P < 0.05). Without extensive treatment, the 10 INH patients all recovered, and hepatic abnormalities normalized by the age of 12 months. In conclusion, the present study showed that the recognition of hepatic siderosis is helpful to distinguish BA from INH and that in a subset of INH patients hepatic macrovesicular steatosis and siderosis occurs.

Pathology of chronic hepatitis C in children. Child Liver Study Group of Japan.

Limited information is available regarding the histology of hepatitis C virus infection in children. The aim of this study was to determine the histological pattern of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in children, and liver biopsy specimens from 109 pediatric patients with CHC were examined. Each biopsy specimen was evaluated based on a numerical scoring system for the stage of fibrosis (1-4), the grade of portal/periportal necroinflammation (0-4), the grade of lobular necroinflammation (0-4), and their sum (final grade). The histological lesions considered to be characteristic of chronic hepatitis were also evaluated. None of the children had liver cirrhosis, and 105 cases (97%) were stage 1 or 2. Only 4 children were stage 3. Two of these 4 cases showed hemosiderosis. A significant correlation was observed between the staging score and the final grade in the pediatric patients (r = .59; P < .0001). The histological characteristics of adult CHC, such as lymphoid aggregate, bile duct injury, and fatty changes, were also observed in the children. In conclusion, the majority of children with CHC presented with mild fibrosis, but a few showed CHC with lobular distortion and hemosiderosis. Frequent blood transfusion may aggravate hepatic lesions in pediatric CHC.

Endoscopic hemostasis of bleeding duodenal ulcer in a child with Henoch-Schönlein purpura.

A 9-year-old boy with Henoch-Schönlein purpura had a duodenal ulcer. Endoscopic injection with pure ethanol was performed on a pulsating visible vessel in the third part of the duodenum, resulting in complete hemostasis. A bleeding ulcer, although rare, may be a serious gastrointestinal complication of Henoch-Schönlein purpura and may require aggressive intervention.

Relationship of feeding modality to clinical features in Japanese infants with idiopathic neonatal hepatitis of the non-familial form.

To clarify the relationship between idiopathic neonatal hepatitis and feeding type, that is, formula-milk feeding and breast-milk feeding, the medical records of 100 patients (68 male and 32 female babies) with idiopathic neonatal hepatitis of non-familial form referred to the medical centers of Akita University and Tohoku University during the past 18 years were reviewed. The patients were divided into two 9 year periods (1975-83 and 1984-92), and their clinical features were analyzed in terms of feeding type and sex. The number of patients enrolled decreased from 69 in the first half to 31 in the second half. The number of male patients dropped from 53 to 15, although the number of female patients (n = 16) remained the same in both 9 year periods. The frequency of formula-milk feeding significantly decreased in the second half (42/69 to 6/31, P < 0.01). Compared with the expected numbers of patients in the second half, calculated on the changes in the live birth population and feeding modality between the two halves, the actually enrolled numbers of patients in the second half were less in both the male and the formula-milk fed groups (x0.35 and x0.22), whereas the numbers of female and breast-milk feeding groups were close to the expected values (x1.26 and x1.08). When sex and feeding modality were combined, the formula-milk fed male group showed the lowest value (x0.10), and the breast-milk fed female group showed the highest value (x2.85). In conclusion, feeding type, especially in combination with gender, might be one causative factor in the occurrence of idiopathic neonatal hepatitis.

Direct enzymatic assay of urinary sulfated bile acids to replace serum bilirubin testing for selective screening of neonatal cholestasis.

Direct enzymatic assay of urinary sulfated bile acids is a sensitive, rapid, minimally invasive, and convenient method of detecting cholestasis in young infants. It may replace measurement of serum direct bilirubin for selective screening for biliary atresia and neonatal hepatitis syndrome at 1 month of age.

Relationships between clinical and histological profiles of non-familial idiopathic neonatal hepatitis.

Idiopathic neonatal hepatitis (INH) is a syndrome characterized clinically and histologically but there is little information concerning the relationship between the clinical features and histological findings. In the present study, sixty-two patients clinically diagnosed as non-familial INH were histologically classified into four groups according to a provisional definition based on predominant lesions and examination of their clinical features. Patients of cholestasis (n = 23) and giant cell hepatitis (GCH, n = 21) were most frequent (37% and 33%, respectively), and patients of fatty liver (n = 10) and hepatitis (n = 8) were less common (16% and 13%). The GCH group showed a dominance of male, low birthweight, older and breast-fed babies. The cholestasis group demonstrated a dominance of male, low birthweight, younger and bottle-fed babies. The hepatitis group had the highest frequencies of high-grade hepatomegaly and splenomegaly. Fifty six cases completely recovered. Two died of hepatic failure in early infancy and four had chronic liver diseases at the age of 12 months. The fatty liver group had the worst outcome. Histological features in non-familial INH were variable and typical giant cell hepatitis was seen in only one-third of patients. Characteristic clinical features in each histologically classified group may suggest heterogenous etiologies underlying non-familial INH.