Biliary atresia and cytomegalovirus infection: A DNA study

The cause of extrahepatic biliary atresia (EHBA) is undetermined in most in stances, but an infectious agent is widely suspected. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has been associated with intrahepatic bile duct destruction and paucity, raising the question of its role in EHBA. We identified 12 childre n in the past 5 years with biliary atresia and examined the bile duct biops y. These showed acute/chronic inflammation and epithelial degeneration. CMV inclusions were not identified. We used in situ hybridization and the poly merase chain reaction (PCR) for CMV-DNA on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedde d tissue. AU samples showed the presence of amplifiable DNA using p-globin primers. No biopsy tissue showed CMV DNA using specific probes and primers. The absence of demonstrable CMV DNA by in situ hybridization and PCR in EH BA biopsies implies that it is unlikely that this virus has any major role in the pathogenesis of this condition.