Conclusions
Children and adults with CBD might develop BTC via the DNA damage repair pathway, as evidenced by increased γH2AX, MRE11, and Ku-70 expression.
Methods
We enrolled 6 children with CBD and 10 adults with CBD without BTC who underwent extrahepatic bile duct resections, plus 4 control patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for non-biliary cancer. Levels of phosphorylated histone H2AX (γH2AX), MRE11, and Ku-70 in the biliary tract epithelium were evaluated by immunohistochemistry.
Results
The levels of γH2AX, MRE11, and Ku-70 were significantly higher in the gallbladder epithelium and bile duct epithelium of both children and adults than in controls. Conclusions: Children and adults with CBD might develop BTC via the DNA damage repair pathway, as evidenced by increased γH2AX, MRE11, and Ku-70 expression.