In infants with BA, infiltration of interlobular bile ducts with CD8+ cells was associated with biliary expression of Opn and its transcription was negatively correlated with mRNA expression of Treg-associated genes.
Our results demonstrate an up-regulation of OPN expression by interlobular biliary epithelium in biliary atresia, which correlates with biliary proliferation and portal fibrosis.
No portal biliary OPN expression could be demonstrated in normal liver, syndromic biliary atresia, biliary obstruction not due to biliary atresia, and idiopathic neonatal hepatitis.