Browsing by Author "Karpen, Saul J."
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Item Defining the serum proteomic signature of hepatic steatosis, inflammation, ballooning and fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(Elsevier, 2023) Sanyal, Arun J.; Williams, Stephen A.; Lavine, Joel E.; Neuschwander-Tetri, Brent A.; Alexander, Leigh; Ostroff, Rachel; Biegel, Hannah; Kowdley, Kris V.; Chalasani, Naga; Dasarathy, Srinivasan; Diehl, Anna Mae; Loomba, Rohit; Hameed, Bilal; Behling, Cynthia; Kleiner, David E.; Karpen, Saul J.; Williams, Jessica; Jia, Yi; Yates, Katherine P.; Tonascia, James; Medicine, School of MedicineBackground & aims: Despite recent progress, non-invasive tests for the diagnostic assessment and monitoring of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remain an unmet need. Herein, we aimed to identify diagnostic signatures of the key histological features of NAFLD. Methods: Using modified-aptamer proteomics, we assayed 5,220 proteins in each of 2,852 single serum samples from 636 individuals with histologically confirmed NAFLD. We developed and validated dichotomized protein-phenotype models to identify clinically relevant severities of steatosis (grade 0 vs. 1-3), hepatocellular ballooning (0 vs. 1 or 2), lobular inflammation (0-1 vs. 2-3) and fibrosis (stages 0-1 vs. 2-4). Results: The AUCs of the four protein models, based on 37 analytes (18 not previously linked to NAFLD), for the diagnosis of their respective components (at a clinically relevant severity) in training/paired validation sets were: fibrosis (AUC 0.92/0.85); steatosis (AUC 0.95/0.79), inflammation (AUC 0.83/0.72), and ballooning (AUC 0.87/0.83). An additional outcome, at-risk NASH, defined as steatohepatitis with NAFLD activity score ≥4 (with a score of at least 1 for each of its components) and fibrosis stage ≥2, was predicted by multiplying the outputs of each individual component model (AUC 0.93/0.85). We further evaluated their ability to detect change in histology following treatment with placebo, pioglitazone, vitamin E or obeticholic acid. Component model scores significantly improved in the active therapies vs. placebo, and differential effects of vitamin E, pioglitazone, and obeticholic acid were identified. Conclusions: Serum protein scanning identified signatures corresponding to the key components of liver biopsy in NAFLD. The models developed were sufficiently sensitive to characterize the longitudinal change for three different drug interventions. These data support continued validation of these proteomic models to enable a "liquid biopsy"-based assessment of NAFLD.Item Diagnostic accuracy of serum matrix metalloproteinase-7 as a biomarker of biliary atresia in a large North American cohort(Wolters Kluwer, 2024) Pandurangi, Sindhu; Mourya, Reena; Nalluri, Shreya; Fei, Lin; Dong, Shun; Harpavat, Sanjiv; Guthery, Stephen L.; Molleston, Jean P.; Rosenthal, Philip; Sokol, Ronald J.; Wang, Kasper S.; Ng, Vicky; Alonso, Estella M.; Hsu, Evelyn K.; Karpen, Saul J.; Loomes, Kathleen M.; Magee, John C.; Shneider, Benjamin L.; Horslen, Simon P.; Teckman, Jeffrey H.; Bezerra, Jorge A.; Childhood Liver Disease Research Net; Pediatrics, School of MedicineBackground and aims: High levels of serum matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) have been linked to biliary atresia (BA), with wide variation in concentration cutoffs. We investigated the accuracy of serum MMP-7 as a diagnostic biomarker in a large North American cohort. Approach and results: MMP-7 was measured in serum samples of 399 infants with cholestasis in the Prospective Database of Infants with Cholestasis study of the Childhood Liver Disease Research Network, 201 infants with BA and 198 with non-BA cholestasis (age median: 64 and 59 days, p = 0.94). MMP-7 was assayed on antibody-bead fluorescence (single-plex) and time resolved fluorescence energy transfer assays. The discriminative performance of MMP-7 was compared with other clinical markers. On the single-plex assay, MMP-7 generated an AUROC of 0.90 (CI: 0.87-0.94). At cutoff 52.8 ng/mL, it produced sensitivity = 94.03%, specificity = 77.78%, positive predictive value = 64.46%, and negative predictive value = 96.82% for BA. AUROC for gamma-glutamyl transferase = 0.81 (CI: 0.77-0.86), stool color = 0.68 (CI: 0.63-0.73), and pathology = 0.84 (CI: 0.76-0.91). Logistic regression models of MMP-7 with other clinical variables individually or combined showed an increase for MMP-7+gamma-glutamyl transferase AUROC to 0.91 (CI: 0.88-0.95). Serum concentrations produced by time resolved fluorescence energy transfer differed from single-plex, with an optimal cutoff of 18.2 ng/mL. Results were consistent within each assay technology and generated similar AUROCs. Conclusions: Serum MMP-7 has high discriminative properties to differentiate BA from other forms of neonatal cholestasis. MMP-7 cutoff values vary according to assay technology. Using MMP-7 in the evaluation of infants with cholestasis may simplify diagnostic algorithms and shorten the time to hepatoportoenterostomy.Item Extrahepatic anomalies in infants with biliary atresia: results of a large prospective North American multicenter study(Wiley, 2013-11) Schwarz, Kathleen B.; Haber, Barbara H.; Rosenthal, Philip; Mack, Cara L; Moore, Jeffrey; Bove, Kevin E.; Bezerra, Jorge A.; Karpen, Saul J.; Kerkar, Nanda; Shneider, Benjamin L.; Turmelle, Yumirle P.; Whitington, Peter F.; Molleston, Jean P.; Murray, Karen F.; Ng, Vicky L.; Romero, René; Wang, Kasper S.; Sokol, Ronald J.; Magee, John C.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineBackground and aims The etiology of biliary atresia (BA) is unknown. Given that patterns of anomalies might provide etiopathogenetic clues, we utilized data from the North American Childhood Liver Disease Research and Education Network to analyze patterns of anomalies in infants with BA. Methods Two hundred eighty-nine infants who were enrolled into the prospective database prior to surgery at any of 15 centers participating were evaluated. Results Group 1 was non-syndromic, isolated BA (without major malformations) (n = 242, 84 %), Group 2 was BA and at least one malformation considered major as defined by the National Birth Defects Prevention Study but without laterality defects (n = 17, 6%). Group 3 was syndromic, with laterality defects (n = 30, 10%). In the population as a whole, anomalies (either major or minor) were most prevalent in the cardiovascular (16%) and gastrointestinal (14%) systems. Group 3 patients accounted for the majority of subjects with cardiac, gastrointestinal and splenic anomalies. Group 2 subjects also frequently displayed cardiovascular (71%) and gastrointestinal (24 %) anomalies; interestingly this group had genitourinary anomalies more frequently (47%) compared to Group 3 subjects (10%). Conclusions This study identified a group of BA (Group 2) that differed from the classical syndromic and non-syndromic groups and that was defined by multiple malformations without laterality defects. Careful phenotyping of the patterns of anomalies may be critical to the interpretation of both genetic and environmental risk factors associated with BA, allowing new insight into pathogenesis and/or outcome.Item Identification of PKD1L1 Gene Variants in Children with the Biliary Atresia Splenic Malformation Syndrome(Wiley, 2019) Berauer, John-Paul; Mezina, Anya I.; Okou, David T.; Sabo, Aniko; Muzny, Donna M.; Gibbs, Richard A.; Hegde, Madhuri R.; Chopra, Pankaj; Cutler, David J.; Perlmutter, David H.; Bull, Laura N.; Thompson, Richard J.; Loomes, Kathleen M.; Spinner, Nancy B.; Rajagopalan, Ramakrishnan; Guthery, Stephen L.; Moore, Barry; Yandell, Mark; Harpavat, Sanjiv; Magee, John C.; Kamath, Binita M.; Molleston, Jean P.; Bezerra, Jorge A.; Murray, Karen F.; Alonso, Estella M.; Rosenthal, Philip; Squires, Robert H.; Wang, Kasper S.; Finegold, Milton J.; Russo, Pierre; Sherker, Averell H.; Sokol, Ronald J.; Karpen, Saul J.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineBiliary atresia (BA) is the most common cause of end‐stage liver disease in children and the primary indication for pediatric liver transplantation, yet underlying etiologies remain unknown. Approximately 10% of infants affected by BA exhibit various laterality defects (heterotaxy) including splenic abnormalities and complex cardiac malformations — a distinctive subgroup commonly referred to as the biliary atresia splenic malformation (BASM) syndrome. We hypothesized that genetic factors linking laterality features with the etiopathogenesis of BA in BASM patients could be identified through whole exome sequencing (WES) of an affected cohort. DNA specimens from 67 BASM subjects, including 58 patient‐parent trios, from the NIDDK‐supported Childhood Liver Disease Research Network (ChiLDReN) underwent WES. Candidate gene variants derived from a pre‐specified set of 2,016 genes associated with ciliary dysgenesis and/or dysfunction or cholestasis were prioritized according to pathogenicity, population frequency, and mode of inheritance. Five BASM subjects harbored rare and potentially deleterious bi‐allelic variants in polycystin 1‐like 1, PKD1L1, a gene associated with ciliary calcium signaling and embryonic laterality determination in fish, mice and humans. Heterozygous PKD1L1 variants were found in 3 additional subjects. Immunohistochemical analysis of liver from the one BASM subject available revealed decreased PKD1L1 expression in bile duct epithelium when compared to normal livers and livers affected by other non‐cholestatic diseases. Conclusion WES identified bi‐allelic and heterozygous PKD1L1 variants of interest in 8 BASM subjects from the ChiLDReN dataset. The dual roles for PKD1L1 in laterality determination and ciliary function suggest that PKD1L1 is a new, biologically plausible, cholangiocyte‐expressed candidate gene for the BASM syndrome.Item Identification of Polycystic Kidney Disease 1 Like 1 Gene Variants in Children With Biliary Atresia Splenic Malformation Syndrome(Wiley, 2019-01-21) Berauer, John-Paul; Mezina, Anya I.; Okou, David T.; Sabo, Aniko; Muzny, Donna M.; Gibbs, Richard A.; Hegde, Madhuri R.; Chopra, Pankaj; Cutler, David J.; Perlmutter, David H.; Bull, Laura N.; Thompson, Richard J.; Loomes, Kathleen M.; Spinner, Nancy B.; Rajagopalan, Ramakrishnan; Guthery, Stephen L.; Moore, Barry; Yandell, Mark; Harpavat, Sanjiv; Magee, John C.; Kamath, Binita M.; Molleston, Jean P.; Bezerra, Jorge A.; Murray, Karen F.; Alonso, Estella M.; Rosenthal, Philip; Squires, Robert H.; Wang, Kasper S.; Finegold, Milton J.; Russo, Pierre; Sherker, Averell H.; Sokol, Ronald J.; Karpen, Saul J.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineBiliary atresia (BA) is the most common cause of end-stage liver disease in children and the primary indication for pediatric liver transplantation, yet underlying etiologies remain unknown. Approximately 10% of infants affected by BA exhibit various laterality defects (heterotaxy) including splenic abnormalities and complex cardiac malformations — a distinctive subgroup commonly referred to as the biliary atresia splenic malformation (BASM) syndrome. We hypothesized that genetic factors linking laterality features with the etiopathogenesis of BA in BASM patients could be identified through whole exome sequencing (WES) of an affected cohort. DNA specimens from 67 BASM subjects, including 58 patient-parent trios, from the NIDDK-supported Childhood Liver Disease Research Network (ChiLDReN) underwent WES. Candidate gene variants derived from a pre-specified set of 2,016 genes associated with ciliary dysgenesis and/or dysfunction or cholestasis were prioritized according to pathogenicity, population frequency, and mode of inheritance. Five BASM subjects harbored rare and potentially deleterious bi-allelic variants in polycystin 1-like 1, PKD1L1, a gene associated with ciliary calcium signaling and embryonic laterality determination in fish, mice and humans. Heterozygous PKD1L1 variants were found in 3 additional subjects. Immunohistochemical analysis of liver from the one BASM subject available revealed decreased PKD1L1 expression in bile duct epithelium when compared to normal livers and livers affected by other non-cholestatic diseases. Conclusion: WES identified bi-allelic and heterozygous PKD1L1 variants of interest in 8 BASM subjects from the ChiLDReN dataset. The dual roles for PKD1L1 in laterality determination and ciliary function suggest that PKD1L1 is a new, biologically plausible, cholangiocyte-expressed candidate gene for the BASM syndrome.Item Impact of long-term administration of maralixibat on children with cholestasis secondary to Alagille syndrome(Wolters Kluwer, 2022) Shneider, Benjamin L.; Spino, Catherine A.; Kamath, Binita M.; Magee, John C.; Ignacio, Rosalinda V.; Huang, Suiyuan; Horslen, Simon P.; Molleston, Jean P.; Miethke, Alexander G.; Kohli, Rohit; Leung, Daniel H.; Jensen, M. Kyle; Loomes, Kathleen M.; Karpen, Saul J.; Mack, Cara; Rosenthal, Philip; Squires, Robert H.; Baker, Alastair; Rajwal, Sanjay; Kelly, Deirdre; Sokol, Ronald J.; Thompson, Richard J.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineThere is growing interest in, but limited data about, intestinal bile acid transport inhibitors as treatment for cholestatic liver disease. The current analyses combine two similar randomized placebo-controlled trials with subsequent extension phases investigating the impact of maralixibat in children with severe cholestasis secondary to Alagille Syndrome (n = 57). The primary outcomes were measures of pruritus (ItchRO[Obs]) and clinician scratch scale (CSS), both increasing in severity from 0 to 4) and quality of life (QoL) (Parent PedsQL and Multidimensional Fatigue Scale module [MFS] scaled 0-100 with increased QoL) at week 48 of the extension phase relative to the baseline of the placebo-controlled trials (week 13). Secondary assessments included other clinical and biochemical parameters assessed in participants at week 72 or end of treatment (after week 48). At week 48, statistically and clinically significant least square mean (95% CI) improvements in pruritus and QoL were observed (ItchRO[Obs] -1.59 [-1.81, -1.36], CSS -1.36 [-1.67, -1.05], PedsQL +10.17 [4.48, 15.86], and multidimension fatigue [MFS] +13.97 [7.85, 20.08]). At week 48, serum bile acids, platelet count, and cholesterol decreased, whereas alanine aminotransferase (ALT) increased and total bilirubin (TB) and albumin were stable. Changes were durable at week 72 and end of treatment. There were no deaths; 2 participants underwent liver transplantation. Study drug was discontinued in 9 participants after treatment-emergent adverse events, 6 of which were events of increased ALT or TB. Conclusion: Maralixibat administration was associated with marked improvement in pruritus and QoL. Interpretation of these findings is complicated by the complex natural history of severe cholestasis in Alagille syndrome.Item Impact of Steroid Therapy on Early Growth in Infants with Biliary Atresia: The Multicenter Steroids in Biliary Atresia Randomized Trial(Elsevier, 2018-11) Alonso, Estella M.; Ye, Wen; Hawthorne, Kieran; Venkat, Veena; Loomes, Kathleen M.; Mack, Cara L.; Hertel, Paula M.; Karpen, Saul J.; Kerkar, Nanda; Molleston, Jean P.; Murray, Karen F.; Romero, Rene; Rosenthal, Philip; Schwarz, Kathleen B.; Shneider, Benjamin L.; Suchy, Frederick J.; Turmelle, Yumirle P.; Wang, Kasper S.; Sherker, Averell H.; Sokol, Ronald J.; Bezerra, Jorge A.; Magee, John C.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineOBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of corticosteroid therapy on the growth of participants in the Steroids in Biliary Atresia Randomized Trial (START) conducted through the Childhood Liver Disease Research Network. The primary analysis in START indicated that steroids did not have a beneficial effect on drainage in a cohort of infants with biliary atresia. We hypothesized that steroids would have a detrimental effect on growth in these infants. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 140 infants were enrolled in START, with 70 randomized to each treatment arm: steroid and placebo. Length, weight, and head circumference were obtained at baseline and follow-up visits to 24 months of age. RESULTS: Patients treated with steroids had significantly lower length and head circumference z scores during the first 3 months post-hepatoportoenterostomy (HPE), and significantly lower weight until 12 months. Growth trajectories in the steroid and placebo arms differed significantly for length (P < .0001), weight (P = .009), and head circumference (P < .0001) with the largest impact noted for those with successful HPE. Growth trajectory for head circumference was significantly lower in patients treated with steroids irrespective of HPE status, but recovered during the second 6 months of life. CONCLUSIONS: Steroid therapy following HPE in patients with biliary atresia is associated with impaired length, weight, and head circumference growth trajectories for at least 6 months post-HPE, especially impacting infants with successful bile drainage.Item Neurodevelopmental Outcome of Young Children with Biliary Atresia and Native Liver: Results from the ChiLDReN Study(Elsevier, 2018-05) Ng, Vicky L.; Sorensen, Lisa G.; Alonso, Estella M.; Fredericks, Emily M.; Ye, Wen; Moore, Jeff; Karpen, Saul J.; Shneider, Benjamin L.; Molleston, Jean P.; Bezerra, Jorge A.; Murray, Karen F.; Loomes, Kathleen M.; Rosenthal, Philip; Squires, Robert H.; Wang, Kasper; Arnon, Ronen; Schwarz, Kathleen B.; Turmelle, Yumirle P.; Haber, Barbara H.; Sherker, Averell H.; Magee, John C.; Sokol, Ronald J.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineOBJECTIVES: To assess neurodevelopmental outcomes among participants with biliary atresia with their native liver at ages 12 months (group 1) and 24 months (group 2), and to evaluate variables predictive of neurodevelopmental impairment. STUDY DESIGN: Participants enrolled in a prospective, longitudinal, multicenter study underwent neurodevelopmental testing with either the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd edition, or Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition. Scores (normative mean = 100 ± 15) were categorized as ≥100, 85-99, and <85 for χ2 analysis. Risk for neurodevelopmental impairment (defined as ≥1 score of <85 on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd edition, or Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition, scales) was analyzed using logistic regression. RESULTS: There were 148 children who completed 217 Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition, examinations (group 1, n = 132; group 2, n = 85). Neurodevelopmental score distributions significantly shifted downward compared with test norms at 1 and 2 years of age. Multivariate analysis identified ascites (OR, 3.17; P = .01) and low length z-scores at time of testing (OR, 0.70; P < .04) as risk factors for physical/motor impairment; low weight z-score (OR, 0.57; P = .001) and ascites (OR, 2.89; P = .01) for mental/cognitive/language impairment at 1 year of age. An unsuccessful hepatoportoenterostomy was predictive of both physical/motor (OR, 4.88; P < .02) and mental/cognitive/language impairment (OR, 4.76; P = .02) at 2 years of age. CONCLUSION: Participants with biliary atresia surviving with native livers after hepatoportoenterostomy are at increased risk for neurodevelopmental delays at 12 and 24 months of age. Those with unsuccessful hepatoportoenterostomy are >4 times more likely to have neurodevelopmental impairment compared with those with successful hepatoportoenterostomy. Growth delays and/or complications indicating advanced liver disease should alert clinicians to the risk for neurodevelopmental delays, and expedite appropriate interventions.Item Outcomes of Childhood Cholestasis in Alagille Syndrome: Results of a Multicenter Observational Study(Wiley, 2020-03) Kamath, Binita M.; Ye, Wen; Goodrich, Nathan P.; Loomes, Kathleen M.; Romero, Rene; Heubi, James E.; Leung, Daniel H.; Spinner, Nancy B.; Piccoli, David A.; Alonso, Estella M.; Guthery, Stephen L.; Karpen, Saul J.; Mack, Cara L.; Molleston, Jean P.; Murray, Karen F.; Rosenthal, Philip; Squires, James E.; Teckman, Jeffrey; Wang, Kasper S.; Thompson, Richard; Magee, John C.; Sokol, Ronald J.; Pediatrics, School of MedicineAlagille syndrome (ALGS) is an autosomal dominant multisystem disorder with cholestasis as a defining clinical feature. We sought to characterize hepatic outcomes in a molecularly defined cohort of children with ALGS‐related cholestasis. Two hundred and ninety‐three participants with ALGS with native liver were enrolled. Participants entered the study at different ages and data were collected retrospectively prior to enrollment, and prospectively during the study course. Genetic analysis in 206 revealed JAGGED1 mutations in 91% and NOTCH2 mutations in 4%. Growth was impaired with mean height and weight z‐scores of <−1.0 at all ages. Regression analysis revealed that every 10 mg/dL increase in total bilirubin was associated with a decrease in height z‐score by 0.10 (P = 0.03) and weight z‐score by 0.15 (P = 0.007). Total bilirubin was higher for younger participants (P = 0.03) with a median of 6.9 mg/dL for those less than 1 year old compared with a median of 1.3 mg/dL for participants 13 years or older. The median gamma glutamyl transferase also dropped from 612 to 268 in the same age groups. After adjusting for age, there was substantial within‐individual variation of alanine aminotransferase. By 20 years of age, 40% of participants had developed definite portal hypertension. Estimated liver transplant–free survival at the age of 18.5 years was 24%. Conclusions: This is the largest multicenter natural history study of cholestasis in ALGS, demonstrating a previously underappreciated burden of liver disease with early profound cholestasis, a second wave of portal hypertension later in childhood, and less than 25% of patients reaching young adulthood with their native liver. These findings will promote optimization of ALGS management and development of clinically relevant endpoints for future therapeutic trials.Item Randomized placebo-controlled trial of losartan for pediatric NAFLD(Wiley, 2022) Vos, Miriam B.; Van Natta, Mark L.; Blondet, Niviann M.; Dasarathy, Srinivasan; Fishbein, Mark; Hertel, Paula; Jain, Ajay K.; Karpen, Saul J.; Lavine, Joel E.; Mohammad, Saeed; Miriel, Laura A.; Molleston, Jean P.; Mouzaki, Marialena; Sanyal, Arun; Sharkey, Emily P.; Schwimmer, Jeffrey B.; Tonascia, James; Wilson, Laura A.; Xanthakos, Stavra A.; NASH Clinical Research Network; Pediatrics, School of MedicineBackground and aims: To date, no pharmacotherapy exists for pediatric NAFLD. Losartan, an angiotensin II receptor blocker, has been proposed as a treatment due to its antifibrotic effects. Approach and results: The Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Clinical Research Network conducted a multicenter, double-masked, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial in children with histologically confirmed NAFLD at 10 sites (September 2018 to April 2020). Inclusion criteria were age 8-17 years, histologic NAFLD activity score ≥ 3, and serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ≥ 50 U/l. Children received 100 mg of losartan or placebo orally once daily for 24 weeks. The primary outcome was change in ALT levels from baseline to 24 weeks, and the preset sample size was n = 110. Treatment effects were assessed using linear regression of change in treatment group adjusted for baseline value. Eighty-three participants (81% male, 80% Hispanic) were randomized to losartan (n = 43) or placebo (n = 40). During an enrollment pause, necessitated by the 2019 coronavirus pandemic, an unplanned interim analysis showed low probability (7%) of significant group difference. The Data and Safety Monitoring Board recommended early study termination. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. The 24-week change in ALT did not differ significantly between losartan versus placebo groups (adjusted mean difference: 1.1 U/l; 95% CI = -30.6, 32.7; p = 0.95), although alkaline phosphatase decreased significantly in the losartan group (adjusted mean difference: -23.4 U/l; 95% CI = -41.5, -5.3; p = 0.01). Systolic blood pressure decreased in the losartan group but increased in placebo (adjusted mean difference: -7.5 mm Hg; 95% CI = -12.2, -2.8; p = 0.002). Compliance by pill counts and numbers and types of adverse events did not differ by group. Conclusions: Losartan did not significantly reduce ALT in children with NAFLD when compared with placebo.