Tag Archives: Matrix Metalloproteinase-7

How To Diagnose Biliary Atresia in 48 hrs

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From Cincinnati Children’s e-Newsletter

An excerpt:

New Test Expedites the Diagnosis of Biliary Atresia

A groundbreaking test developed at Cincinnati Children’s can expedite a diagnosis of biliary atresia (BA), helping physicians decide quickly whether to perform a liver biopsy followed by an operative cholangiogram, the definitive test for BA. The test quantifies the concentration of MMP-7 (matrix metalloproteinase-7), a serum protein that researchers at Cincinnati Children’s discovered in 2017 is a biomarker of BA.

Physicians can order the MMP-7 assay by submitting a requisition form. Test results are available within 48 hours, and a pediatric hepatologist is always available for consultation regarding the interpretation of test results.

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More Data, More Nuance with MMP-7: Best Biliary Atresia Biomarker

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As noted by my previous blog (New Way to Diagnose Biliary Atresia), I am enthusiastic about the development of MMP-7 (Serum Matrix Metalloproteinase-7) as a biomarker for biliary atresia.

A new study (Wu J-F , Jeng Y-M, Chen H-L, Ni Y-H, Hsu H-Y, Chang M-H. Quantification of serum matrix metallopeptide 7 levels may assist the diagnosis and outcome prediction for biliary atresia. J Pediatr. 2019;208:30–7) and associated editorial provide additional data and nuance.

Key points:

  • “Wu et … studied 100 cholestatic infants presenting consecutively to their institution over a 10-year period, including 36 eventually diagnosed with biliary atresia. Median serum MMP-7 levels were significantly higher in biliary atresia at the time of diagnosis, with an optimal serum MMP-7 level of >1.43 ng/mL for predicting biliary atresia.  In comparison, similarly high MMP-7 levels were found in only 1 infant who was cholestatic without biliary atresia.”
  • “The authors found that serum MMP-7 levels were significantly lower in the 14 infants ≤30 days old diagnosed with biliary atresia, compared with the 22 infants >30 days old at diagnosis. In some cases, serum MMP-7 levels in younger infants with biliary atresia overlapped with those from infants with other liver diseases, such as neonatal hepatitis.”
  • After Kasai portoenterostomy: “Serum MMP-7 levels were significantly higher 6 months post-Kasai portoenterostomy in infants who later required liver transplant, with a serum MMP-7 level of >10.30 mg/dL optimally predicting transplant 3-4 years after Kasai portoenterostomy … serum MMP-7 levels are still high even in patients who do not need liver transplant.”
  • The authors “highlight 1 complication with using serum MMP-7 levels: values can vary widely among different enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits used.”

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Blood Test is Better Than a Liver Biopsy for Biliary Atresia

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A recent study (L Yang et al. Hepatology 2018; 68: 2069-72) confirms the utility of Serum Matrix Metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) as a biomarker for biliary atresia (BA). The authors studied MMP-7 among healthy controls (n=72 with 54 <6 months) and among 135 with cholestasis (75 with BA, 60 with non-BA).  BA samples were taken at a median age of 54 days.

Key findings:

  • Median concentration for MMP-7 was 2.86 ng/mL in healthy controls, 11.47 ng/mL for non-BA cholestasis, and 121.1 ng/mL for BA.
  • Using a cutoff value of 52.85 ng/mL, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 98.67% and 95.0% respectively.
  • The AUC for MMP-7 in BA was 0.99 compared for AUC for GGT of 0.72.  The sensitivity and specificity for GGT was much lower at 64% and 72% respectively with a cutoff of 314 U/L.
  • The predictive value for MMP-7 was particularly impressive, 74 of 75 BA  subjects were correctly identified as having BA.  Only 3 non-BA patients were incorrectly assigned a BA diagnosis based on MMP-7 values.
  • The authors noted that MMP-7 testing indicates that there are no substantial changes in its values for normal subjects extending to 54 years of age.
  • One limitation the authors note is the relatively small number of patients with non-BA syndromatic intrahepatic cholestasis which made up less than 30% of their non-BA cohort.  Thus, more testing in specific populations is needed.

My take: The diagnostic performance of MMP-7** appears to be superior to that of a liver biopsy (though this was not directly compared in this study) in predicting BA and could obviate the need for most liver biopsies in infants with cholestasis.  Those with high MMP-7 values would proceed directly to intraoperative cholangiogram with possible hepatoportojejunostomy. Those with non-BA MMP-7 values and persistent cholestasis could undergo additional investigation with genetic panels and/or other metabolic/infectious testing.

**This assay is likely to be commercially-available in the coming weeks according to a colleague at Cincnnati Children’s Hospital.  The expectation is an approximagely 2-day turnaround.

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