HLA and cytokine gene polymorphisms in biliary atresia.

Background/aims: Extrahepatic biliary atresia remains one of the major hepatic causes of death in early childhood. Though a number of hypotheses have been developed to account for this disease, its aetiopathogenesis is poorly understood. One possibility is that this is an immune mediated disease which occurs following either toxic or infectious insult in a genetically susceptible host.