Conditions: Biliary Atresia
Keywords: Biliary atresia Hepatic portoenterostomy Intravenous immunoglobulin
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 30
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The Children Liver Disease Research and Education Network (ChiLDREN) is conducting a clinical trial to determine the feasibility, acceptability, tolerability and safety profile of IVIG treatment administered to infants after hepatic portoenterostomy (HPE) for biliary atresia, as well as investigate preliminary evidence of activity and explore mechanisms of action.

Detailed description:
In this multicenter prospective phase 1/2A open label trial, the feasibility, tolerability and safety of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy following hepatic portoenterostomy (HPE) will be assessed in 29 infants with biliary atresia (BA), efficacy will be estimated and exploratory mechanistic research studies will be performed. After written consent is obtained from the parent or guardian, the subject will be enrolled and will receive three intravenous doses of IVIG at designated intervals over the first 60 days following HPE and will be followed for 360 days after enrollment. Blood will also be obtained during this study to assess potential mechanisms by which the IVIG may alter or reduce bile duct inflammation and injury and improve bile flow. All infants in this trial will also be treated with standardized doses of other routine standard-of-care treatments for BA during this trial (ursodeoxycholic acid, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxasole, and fat-soluble vitamin supplements). This routine clinical care will not be modified by participation in this study. Subjects in this study will not receive corticosteroid therapy for treatment of biliary atresia, as this is of unproven benefit at the present time.

Arms:
arm 1: Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) 10% 1 gm/kg body weight/dose Day 3-5,30, 60 post HPE

Interventions: intervention 1: Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: All participants will receive the same dose of IVIG at the same intervals in an open-label fashion as long as the subject does not have any increased risk for toxicity for any IVIG infusion. IVIG will be initiated on day 3 (up to day 5) after HPE surgery (HPE is day 0) at a dose of 1 gm/kg body weight by slow intravenous infusion over at least 4 hours. The same dose (1 gm/kg) and duration of infusion will be repeated on day 30 and day 60 after HPE.

Protocol document: