F. Jakab - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by F. Jakab
The intraoperative measurement of the afferent circulation of the liver, namely the hepatic arter... more The intraoperative measurement of the afferent circulation of the liver, namely the hepatic artery flow and portal venous flow was carried out upon 14 anesthetized patients having carcinoma in the splanchnic area, mainly in the head of the pancreas by means of transit time ultrasonic volume flowmeter. The hepatic artery flow, portal venous flow and total hepatic flow were 0.377+0.10; 0.614+0.21; 0.992+0.276 l/min respectively. The ratio of hepatic arterical flow to portal venous flow was 0.66+0.259 There was a sharp, significant increase in hepatic arterial flow (29.8+6.1%, p<0,01) after the temporary occlusion of the portal vein, while the temporary occlusion of hepatic artery did not have any significant effect on portal venous circulation. The interaction between hepatic arterial flow and portal venous flow is a much disputed question, but according to the presented data here, it is unquestionable, that the decrease of portal venous flow immediately results a significant incre...
Orvosi hetilap, 1996
Author overviews the evolution of liver transplantation from the point of view of organization in... more Author overviews the evolution of liver transplantation from the point of view of organization in North America, in Europe and in Hungary partly on the basis of his own experience. It can be stated, that in North America the liver transplantation has become the universal method for the treatment of end-stage liver diseases, only after 20 year long period since the beginning. This first 20 years could be characterized by the monopoly of few giant transplant centers. This period was different and shorter in Europe due to integration run by Eurotransplant and Council of Europe. In Hungary the need and hope for a well organized, functioning liver transplant programme has become reality after difficult long period. Individual efforts, organizations, scientific-, clinical-, experimental work are being regarded valuable experience, because due to this effort some liver patients can live with good quality of life, the results are included to the present programme, on the other hand this acc...
Acta chirurgica Hungarica
The surgical importance of the retroperitoneal space is indisputable. Bordered by the transverse ... more The surgical importance of the retroperitoneal space is indisputable. Bordered by the transverse fascia, the abdominal and lumbar muscles and the spine, it is in connection with the mediastinum and the subperitoneal area, and may be the site of various processes causing diagnostic and therapeutic problems. Retroperitoneal processes may arise from organs which are completely or partly retroperitoneal (duodenum, kidneys, major vessels). Of these processes the retroperitoneal abscesses are dealt with in the present work.
Orvosi hetilap, Jan 26, 1974
Acta chirurgica Hungarica, 1987
The effect of PCA on bile and lymph composition in rats was studied. It was established that secr... more The effect of PCA on bile and lymph composition in rats was studied. It was established that secretion of bile acid decreased significantly and this resulted in reduced bile flow. In studying lymph flow and protein content, the most important observation was a decrease in the protein concentration of hepatic lymph. It can be supported that hepatic blood flow decreased due to PCA is responsible for all these changes.
Acta chirurgica Hungarica, 1988
Changes in heparin level during orthotopic liver transplantation were studied in experiments with... more Changes in heparin level during orthotopic liver transplantation were studied in experiments without the administration of heparin in dogs. It was established that the changes in heparin level might probably not play a role in giving rise to coagulopathy observed during liver transplantation. Their data also indicated that the rise in heparin level had originated not from the re-perfused liver but from the release of endogenous heparin.
Acta chirurgica Hungarica, 1988
Based on review of the literature and on their own material, authors have established that pancre... more Based on review of the literature and on their own material, authors have established that pancreatitis, following biliary and gastric operations, develops mostly at interventions performed on the papilla of Vater and/or around its region. The characteristic signs of the early postoperative. (2nd-4th day) pancreatitis are essentially confined to the pancreas (i.e. necrosis, abscess, erosion, bleeding, fistula). The time of early surgical intervention and the type of solution vary by patients. Recognition of the spreading of autolysis is possible by sonographic or computer tomographic control which also help in diagnosing further complications and indicating additional operations. Prognosis is poor and lethality is high and, consequently, the gastric or biliary operations involving the papilla of Vater or its region should be performed with particular caution. Postoperative pancreatitis can be a specific risk-factor of these operations.
Acta chirurgica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 1978
Cholesterol gallstones were induced in mice by means of a lithogenous diet. Some of the animals w... more Cholesterol gallstones were induced in mice by means of a lithogenous diet. Some of the animals were given in addition morphine regularly. The ten-week experiment was concluded with operation. Lithogenesis was recorded, the volume of the gallbladder was measured, the bile collected for analysis and a specimen was taken from the liver for histologic examination. In the animals fed the lithogenous diet were only gallstones found. The occurrence of cholestasis was unequivocally be proved by the volume of the gallbladder and the microscopic examination of the bile sediment in the group treated with morphine. Metabolic factors seem to play the primary role in the formation of cholesterol gallstones; cholestasis is of secondary importance.
Acta chirurgica Hungarica, 1988
The effect of experimental liver transplantation on pH and the acid-base equilibrium by active an... more The effect of experimental liver transplantation on pH and the acid-base equilibrium by active and passive veno-venous bypass was examined. It is concluded that the use of active veno-venous bypass may considerably decrease but not completely prevent the development of metabolic acidosis by elimination of the phase.
ANZ Journal of Surgery, 1988
Acta chirurgica Hungarica, 1997
Authors analyze the cases of duplex and multiplex tumors among the more than two thousand operate... more Authors analyze the cases of duplex and multiplex tumors among the more than two thousand operated upon patients a year at the Surgical Department of Uzsoki Hospital, Budapest, Hungary. The study enrolls a two years period evaluating the medical history of our patients in hope of a more sophisticated and effective diagnostic and therapeutic regimen. Our experience gained by analyzing data of our patients with synchron tumors shows that the patient's life expectancy is much better if performing a radical multivisceral tumor extirpation at the same sitting even if keeping in mind the higher perioperative risk. In accordance to the above mentioned concept we would like to stress the utmost importance of the interdisciplinary cooperation.
Acta chirurgica Hungarica, 1997
In our Department, between 1991 and 1996, 132 patients, there of 87 male-45 female, average age o... more In our Department, between 1991 and 1996, 132 patients, there of 87 male-45 female, average age of 48.2 years underwent surgery because of stage 1 (T2) to stage 3 melanoma that was located on the skin. None of patients suffered from early or in situ melanoma. Our retrospective study was based on those 94 patients who had been followed up by Department or dermatology-oncology in our medical centre. Surgery is still the primary treatment for cutaneous malignant melanoma. Thin melanomas (up to 2 mm in thickness) can be excised with 2 cm margins. Whether this is also true for thicker melanomas is not known and the only way to obtain more knowledge is to participate in prospective randomised studies. Elective lymph node dissection is associated with significant morbidity which includes lymphedema, wound complications and paresthesias of the extremity. For this reason we use an alternative operative approach uses selective lymphadenectomy with identification of the sentinel node.
Acta chirurgica Hungarica, 1991
In the recent four years, 8 cases of gastrointestinal angiodysplasia (a.d.) were observed by the ... more In the recent four years, 8 cases of gastrointestinal angiodysplasia (a.d.) were observed by the authors. Analysing the conclusions drawn from the patients course of disease, they found a.d. to be the cause of an unknown gastrointestinal bleeding. a.d. can be basically diagnosed by angiography. It is often associated with liver cirrhosis or arteriostenosis. The treatment of a.d. is surgical. The recurrence and repeated appearance of bleeding can be expected even after a thoroughly performed resection.
Acta hepato-gastroenterologica, 1977
Acidifying the duodenal contents with 0.1 N hydrochloric acid in the dog increased both hepatic a... more Acidifying the duodenal contents with 0.1 N hydrochloric acid in the dog increased both hepatic artery and portal vein flow, and reduced mesenteric vascular resistance as well as hepatic artery and portal venous inflow resistances. The reaction is absent after intraduodenal injection of 30% glucose and physiological saline solutions. More concentrated acid leads to a greater increase in blood flow. The receptors of the circulatory reflex are situated in the duodenal mucosa and can be blocked with lidocaine.
Pathology & Oncology Research, 2014
Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receive chemotherapy prior liver resection more and mo... more Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receive chemotherapy prior liver resection more and more frequently. Histopathologic assessment methods of the resected specimen could evaluate the response to chemotherapy. In this study it is analyzed if these histopathologic changes are specific to preoperative chemotherapy and if these methods have correlation with survival. Sixty three patients with available pathology slides, resected for colorectal cancer liver metastases were enrolled in this study. 46 patients (73%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Five pathological evaluation methods were compared according to the literature: [1] residual tumor cell ratio, [2] tumor regression grade (TRG) scoring system, [3] modified tumor regression grade (mTRG) scoring system with the type of necrosis, [4] pattern of tumor regression and [5] the tumor thickness at the tumor-normal interface (TNI). Analyzing the pathological methods between the chemotherapy (CTX) and the non-chemotherapy group (NC), we found that that four evaluation methods showed significant and one showed strong correlation with the use of chemotherapy. (Residual tumor cell ratio: p = 0.08; TRG: p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.01; mTRG: p = 0.03; pattern of tumor regression: p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.01; TNI: p = 0.02). In the chemotherapy group none of the analyzed pathological methods showed significant correlation with progression free survival (PFS) or with overall survival (OS). Residual tumor cell ratio, TRG and the pattern of tumor cells showed positive but not significant correlation with OS and PFS and a slight difference in the group of patients with TNI &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;2 mm could be documented. Tumor regression grade (TRG) and tumor thickness at the tumor-normal interface (TNI) were the most useful methods for pathological response evaluation and these methods had some correlation with survival. According to these data, authors concluded, that a reproducible and well defined scoring system, based on different histopathological evaluation methods should be developed to predict more accurately the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in CRCLM patients.
Ultraschall in der Medizin - European Journal of Ultrasound, 2008
HPB Surgery, 1996
The relationship between the changes in portal venous and hepatic arterial blood flows, in the li... more The relationship between the changes in portal venous and hepatic arterial blood flows, in the liver is a much disputed question, it has tremendous significance in the practice of transplantation, and an explanation has been available since 1981, when Lautt published the so-caled “adenosine washout theory”. According to our earlier observations the decrease of portal pressure or flow consistently led to an increase in hepatic artery flow. At the same time changes in hepatic artery flow or pressure seemed to produce only inconsistent effects on the portal circulation. In the present experiments liver transplantation (OLTX) was carried out on mongrel dogs by Starzl's method. Electromagnetic flow probes were placed on the hepatic artery and the portal vein before removal of recipient’s liver, and after completion of all vascular anastomoses to the newly inserted liver, during the recirculatory phase of OLTX. The flow probes were connected to a Hellige electromagnetic flowmeter, por...
Zeitschrift für Gastroenterologie, 2004
Diagnostic pathology, Jan 16, 2015
The ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC)-transporter MultiDrug Resistance Protein 1 (MDR1) and Multidrug Re... more The ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC)-transporter MultiDrug Resistance Protein 1 (MDR1) and Multidrug Resistance Related Protein 1 (MRP1) are expressed on the surface of enterocytes, which has led to the belief that these high capacity transporters are responsible for modulating chemosensitvity of colorectal cancer. Several immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) studies have provided controversial results in regards to the expression levels of these two ABC-transporters in colorectal cancer. Our study was designed to determine the yet uninvestigated functional activity of MDR1 and MRP1 transporters in normal human enterocytes compared to colorectal cancer cells from surgical biopsies. 100 colorectal cancer and 28 adjacent healthy mucosa samples were obtained by intraoperative surgical sampling. Activity of MDR1 and MRP1 of viable epithelial and cancer cells were determined separately with the modified calcein-assay for multidrug resistance activit...
Hepato-gastroenterology
Microarray studies used to describe altered gene expression patterns in tissues are a promising n... more Microarray studies used to describe altered gene expression patterns in tissues are a promising new way to provide insight into the pathomechanism of biliary atresia (BA). The hypothesis in this study was that altered gene expression in BA may be linked to regulatory transcription factors (TF). The overrepresentation of transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) in the promoter regions of genes with altered expression would support this hypothesis. Using previously published data, the prevalence of TFBSs in the promoter regions of genes with altered expression in BA was analyzed and compared with the overall prevalence in known promoter sequences. In the pooled BA gene list 195 different TFBS were identified. The prevalence of TFBSs of the members of NFkappaB/c-Rel family was higher compared with the background model. NFkappaB/c-Rel play a role in the development and function of the immune system. Thus, the results of this study support current theories and experiments which link the...
The intraoperative measurement of the afferent circulation of the liver, namely the hepatic arter... more The intraoperative measurement of the afferent circulation of the liver, namely the hepatic artery flow and portal venous flow was carried out upon 14 anesthetized patients having carcinoma in the splanchnic area, mainly in the head of the pancreas by means of transit time ultrasonic volume flowmeter. The hepatic artery flow, portal venous flow and total hepatic flow were 0.377+0.10; 0.614+0.21; 0.992+0.276 l/min respectively. The ratio of hepatic arterical flow to portal venous flow was 0.66+0.259 There was a sharp, significant increase in hepatic arterial flow (29.8+6.1%, p<0,01) after the temporary occlusion of the portal vein, while the temporary occlusion of hepatic artery did not have any significant effect on portal venous circulation. The interaction between hepatic arterial flow and portal venous flow is a much disputed question, but according to the presented data here, it is unquestionable, that the decrease of portal venous flow immediately results a significant incre...
Orvosi hetilap, 1996
Author overviews the evolution of liver transplantation from the point of view of organization in... more Author overviews the evolution of liver transplantation from the point of view of organization in North America, in Europe and in Hungary partly on the basis of his own experience. It can be stated, that in North America the liver transplantation has become the universal method for the treatment of end-stage liver diseases, only after 20 year long period since the beginning. This first 20 years could be characterized by the monopoly of few giant transplant centers. This period was different and shorter in Europe due to integration run by Eurotransplant and Council of Europe. In Hungary the need and hope for a well organized, functioning liver transplant programme has become reality after difficult long period. Individual efforts, organizations, scientific-, clinical-, experimental work are being regarded valuable experience, because due to this effort some liver patients can live with good quality of life, the results are included to the present programme, on the other hand this acc...
Acta chirurgica Hungarica
The surgical importance of the retroperitoneal space is indisputable. Bordered by the transverse ... more The surgical importance of the retroperitoneal space is indisputable. Bordered by the transverse fascia, the abdominal and lumbar muscles and the spine, it is in connection with the mediastinum and the subperitoneal area, and may be the site of various processes causing diagnostic and therapeutic problems. Retroperitoneal processes may arise from organs which are completely or partly retroperitoneal (duodenum, kidneys, major vessels). Of these processes the retroperitoneal abscesses are dealt with in the present work.
Orvosi hetilap, Jan 26, 1974
Acta chirurgica Hungarica, 1987
The effect of PCA on bile and lymph composition in rats was studied. It was established that secr... more The effect of PCA on bile and lymph composition in rats was studied. It was established that secretion of bile acid decreased significantly and this resulted in reduced bile flow. In studying lymph flow and protein content, the most important observation was a decrease in the protein concentration of hepatic lymph. It can be supported that hepatic blood flow decreased due to PCA is responsible for all these changes.
Acta chirurgica Hungarica, 1988
Changes in heparin level during orthotopic liver transplantation were studied in experiments with... more Changes in heparin level during orthotopic liver transplantation were studied in experiments without the administration of heparin in dogs. It was established that the changes in heparin level might probably not play a role in giving rise to coagulopathy observed during liver transplantation. Their data also indicated that the rise in heparin level had originated not from the re-perfused liver but from the release of endogenous heparin.
Acta chirurgica Hungarica, 1988
Based on review of the literature and on their own material, authors have established that pancre... more Based on review of the literature and on their own material, authors have established that pancreatitis, following biliary and gastric operations, develops mostly at interventions performed on the papilla of Vater and/or around its region. The characteristic signs of the early postoperative. (2nd-4th day) pancreatitis are essentially confined to the pancreas (i.e. necrosis, abscess, erosion, bleeding, fistula). The time of early surgical intervention and the type of solution vary by patients. Recognition of the spreading of autolysis is possible by sonographic or computer tomographic control which also help in diagnosing further complications and indicating additional operations. Prognosis is poor and lethality is high and, consequently, the gastric or biliary operations involving the papilla of Vater or its region should be performed with particular caution. Postoperative pancreatitis can be a specific risk-factor of these operations.
Acta chirurgica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 1978
Cholesterol gallstones were induced in mice by means of a lithogenous diet. Some of the animals w... more Cholesterol gallstones were induced in mice by means of a lithogenous diet. Some of the animals were given in addition morphine regularly. The ten-week experiment was concluded with operation. Lithogenesis was recorded, the volume of the gallbladder was measured, the bile collected for analysis and a specimen was taken from the liver for histologic examination. In the animals fed the lithogenous diet were only gallstones found. The occurrence of cholestasis was unequivocally be proved by the volume of the gallbladder and the microscopic examination of the bile sediment in the group treated with morphine. Metabolic factors seem to play the primary role in the formation of cholesterol gallstones; cholestasis is of secondary importance.
Acta chirurgica Hungarica, 1988
The effect of experimental liver transplantation on pH and the acid-base equilibrium by active an... more The effect of experimental liver transplantation on pH and the acid-base equilibrium by active and passive veno-venous bypass was examined. It is concluded that the use of active veno-venous bypass may considerably decrease but not completely prevent the development of metabolic acidosis by elimination of the phase.
ANZ Journal of Surgery, 1988
Acta chirurgica Hungarica, 1997
Authors analyze the cases of duplex and multiplex tumors among the more than two thousand operate... more Authors analyze the cases of duplex and multiplex tumors among the more than two thousand operated upon patients a year at the Surgical Department of Uzsoki Hospital, Budapest, Hungary. The study enrolls a two years period evaluating the medical history of our patients in hope of a more sophisticated and effective diagnostic and therapeutic regimen. Our experience gained by analyzing data of our patients with synchron tumors shows that the patient's life expectancy is much better if performing a radical multivisceral tumor extirpation at the same sitting even if keeping in mind the higher perioperative risk. In accordance to the above mentioned concept we would like to stress the utmost importance of the interdisciplinary cooperation.
Acta chirurgica Hungarica, 1997
In our Department, between 1991 and 1996, 132 patients, there of 87 male-45 female, average age o... more In our Department, between 1991 and 1996, 132 patients, there of 87 male-45 female, average age of 48.2 years underwent surgery because of stage 1 (T2) to stage 3 melanoma that was located on the skin. None of patients suffered from early or in situ melanoma. Our retrospective study was based on those 94 patients who had been followed up by Department or dermatology-oncology in our medical centre. Surgery is still the primary treatment for cutaneous malignant melanoma. Thin melanomas (up to 2 mm in thickness) can be excised with 2 cm margins. Whether this is also true for thicker melanomas is not known and the only way to obtain more knowledge is to participate in prospective randomised studies. Elective lymph node dissection is associated with significant morbidity which includes lymphedema, wound complications and paresthesias of the extremity. For this reason we use an alternative operative approach uses selective lymphadenectomy with identification of the sentinel node.
Acta chirurgica Hungarica, 1991
In the recent four years, 8 cases of gastrointestinal angiodysplasia (a.d.) were observed by the ... more In the recent four years, 8 cases of gastrointestinal angiodysplasia (a.d.) were observed by the authors. Analysing the conclusions drawn from the patients course of disease, they found a.d. to be the cause of an unknown gastrointestinal bleeding. a.d. can be basically diagnosed by angiography. It is often associated with liver cirrhosis or arteriostenosis. The treatment of a.d. is surgical. The recurrence and repeated appearance of bleeding can be expected even after a thoroughly performed resection.
Acta hepato-gastroenterologica, 1977
Acidifying the duodenal contents with 0.1 N hydrochloric acid in the dog increased both hepatic a... more Acidifying the duodenal contents with 0.1 N hydrochloric acid in the dog increased both hepatic artery and portal vein flow, and reduced mesenteric vascular resistance as well as hepatic artery and portal venous inflow resistances. The reaction is absent after intraduodenal injection of 30% glucose and physiological saline solutions. More concentrated acid leads to a greater increase in blood flow. The receptors of the circulatory reflex are situated in the duodenal mucosa and can be blocked with lidocaine.
Pathology & Oncology Research, 2014
Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receive chemotherapy prior liver resection more and mo... more Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receive chemotherapy prior liver resection more and more frequently. Histopathologic assessment methods of the resected specimen could evaluate the response to chemotherapy. In this study it is analyzed if these histopathologic changes are specific to preoperative chemotherapy and if these methods have correlation with survival. Sixty three patients with available pathology slides, resected for colorectal cancer liver metastases were enrolled in this study. 46 patients (73%) received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Five pathological evaluation methods were compared according to the literature: [1] residual tumor cell ratio, [2] tumor regression grade (TRG) scoring system, [3] modified tumor regression grade (mTRG) scoring system with the type of necrosis, [4] pattern of tumor regression and [5] the tumor thickness at the tumor-normal interface (TNI). Analyzing the pathological methods between the chemotherapy (CTX) and the non-chemotherapy group (NC), we found that that four evaluation methods showed significant and one showed strong correlation with the use of chemotherapy. (Residual tumor cell ratio: p = 0.08; TRG: p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.01; mTRG: p = 0.03; pattern of tumor regression: p &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.01; TNI: p = 0.02). In the chemotherapy group none of the analyzed pathological methods showed significant correlation with progression free survival (PFS) or with overall survival (OS). Residual tumor cell ratio, TRG and the pattern of tumor cells showed positive but not significant correlation with OS and PFS and a slight difference in the group of patients with TNI &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;2 mm could be documented. Tumor regression grade (TRG) and tumor thickness at the tumor-normal interface (TNI) were the most useful methods for pathological response evaluation and these methods had some correlation with survival. According to these data, authors concluded, that a reproducible and well defined scoring system, based on different histopathological evaluation methods should be developed to predict more accurately the effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in CRCLM patients.
Ultraschall in der Medizin - European Journal of Ultrasound, 2008
HPB Surgery, 1996
The relationship between the changes in portal venous and hepatic arterial blood flows, in the li... more The relationship between the changes in portal venous and hepatic arterial blood flows, in the liver is a much disputed question, it has tremendous significance in the practice of transplantation, and an explanation has been available since 1981, when Lautt published the so-caled “adenosine washout theory”. According to our earlier observations the decrease of portal pressure or flow consistently led to an increase in hepatic artery flow. At the same time changes in hepatic artery flow or pressure seemed to produce only inconsistent effects on the portal circulation. In the present experiments liver transplantation (OLTX) was carried out on mongrel dogs by Starzl's method. Electromagnetic flow probes were placed on the hepatic artery and the portal vein before removal of recipient’s liver, and after completion of all vascular anastomoses to the newly inserted liver, during the recirculatory phase of OLTX. The flow probes were connected to a Hellige electromagnetic flowmeter, por...
Zeitschrift für Gastroenterologie, 2004
Diagnostic pathology, Jan 16, 2015
The ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC)-transporter MultiDrug Resistance Protein 1 (MDR1) and Multidrug Re... more The ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC)-transporter MultiDrug Resistance Protein 1 (MDR1) and Multidrug Resistance Related Protein 1 (MRP1) are expressed on the surface of enterocytes, which has led to the belief that these high capacity transporters are responsible for modulating chemosensitvity of colorectal cancer. Several immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) studies have provided controversial results in regards to the expression levels of these two ABC-transporters in colorectal cancer. Our study was designed to determine the yet uninvestigated functional activity of MDR1 and MRP1 transporters in normal human enterocytes compared to colorectal cancer cells from surgical biopsies. 100 colorectal cancer and 28 adjacent healthy mucosa samples were obtained by intraoperative surgical sampling. Activity of MDR1 and MRP1 of viable epithelial and cancer cells were determined separately with the modified calcein-assay for multidrug resistance activit...
Hepato-gastroenterology
Microarray studies used to describe altered gene expression patterns in tissues are a promising n... more Microarray studies used to describe altered gene expression patterns in tissues are a promising new way to provide insight into the pathomechanism of biliary atresia (BA). The hypothesis in this study was that altered gene expression in BA may be linked to regulatory transcription factors (TF). The overrepresentation of transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) in the promoter regions of genes with altered expression would support this hypothesis. Using previously published data, the prevalence of TFBSs in the promoter regions of genes with altered expression in BA was analyzed and compared with the overall prevalence in known promoter sequences. In the pooled BA gene list 195 different TFBS were identified. The prevalence of TFBSs of the members of NFkappaB/c-Rel family was higher compared with the background model. NFkappaB/c-Rel play a role in the development and function of the immune system. Thus, the results of this study support current theories and experiments which link the...