Preventive Effect of Prophylactic Oral Antibiotics Against Cholangitis After Kasai Portoenterostomy

May 12, 2026 updated by: Children's Hospital of Fudan University

Preventive Effect of Prophylactic Oral Antibiotics Against Cholangitis After Kasai Portoenterostomy in Biliary Atresia: a Randomized Controlled Trial

This study is non-inferiority trial design. This study aimed to investigate the effect of prophylactic oral antibiotics on preventing cholangitis in biliary atresia (BA) patients after Kasai portoenterostomy (KP) by comparing the cholangitis rate in BA patients who received prophylactic oral antibiotics and those who did not. The patients were followed up for 2 years after KP.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Biliary atresia (BA) is a devastating inflammatory obstructive neonatal disease affecting intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. Kasai portoenterostomy (KP) is the mainstay of treatment for BA. Cholangitis is a common complication after KP, with an overall incidence of 22-93%, and an incidence of 30-70% within 6 months after KP. The mechanism of cholangitis may be intestinal bacteria ascending into the intrahepatic biliary system or bacterial colonization, etc. Common causative organisms include Klebsiella, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Streptococcus, and Salmonella typhi. There is some controversy about prophylactic antibiotics after KP, and the type, dosage and course of antibiotics in medical institutions around the world vary greatly. After years of improvement, although the postoperative management and short-term prognosis of BA have improved, the overall incidence of cholangitis has not changed much. High-quality evidence for antibiotic prophylaxis after KP remains lacking. It still remains unknown that whether long-term prophylactic oral antibiotics could benefit the patients. Long-term use of antibiotics may not only increase the burden of liver dysfunction in patients, but also lead to antibiotic resistance, intestinal flora disturbance, and increase the risk of allergies and autoimmune diseases. It is of great significance to use evidence-based medicine to find a relatively reasonable cholangitis prevention program.

This study is non-inferiority trial design. This study aimed to investigate the effect of prophylactic oral antibiotics on preventing cholangitis by comparing the cholangitis rate in BA patients who received prophylactic oral antibiotics after KP and those who did not. Patients diagnosed with type III BA and receiving KP at Children's Hospital of Fudan University will be assigned to 2 groups. Both groups received the same basic treatment, then the patients in the antibiotics group received prophylactic oral antibiotics until the 6th month after KP, while the non-antibiotics group no longer used prophylactic antibiotics until cholangitis occurred. The cholangitis rate within 6 months after KP were measured to evaluate the preventive effect of prophylactic oral antibiotics on cholangitis. The patients were followed up for 2 years after KP.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

356

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • China
    • Shanghai Municipality
      • Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China, 201102
        • Recruiting
        • Children's Hospital of Fudan University
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients whose age of operation is 14-90 d. Sex and race are not restricted;
  • Patients who are born with gestational age older than 36 weeks;
  • Patients whose body weight before operation > 2 kg;
  • Patients diagnosed of type-III BA and underwent KP in Children's Hospital of Fudan University;
  • The type-III BA diagnosis is based on cholangiography or operation;
  • Patients whose histological features of liver biopsies are reported. HE staining and Masson staining are required, and edema, inflammation, fibrosis, and hyperplasia of intrahepatic bile duct should be reported;
  • Patients who are not allergic to postoperative medications;
  • Patients who haven't accepted other antibiotic or probiotic therapy.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with cholestasis of non-BA disease;
  • Patients who have undergone KP at other institutions;
  • Patients whose pathohistological diagnosis is in doubt;
  • Patients who undergo liver transplantation immediately after KP;
  • Patients with other liver diseases or severe complications (e.g., severe pulmonary hypertension, renal failure, intracranial hemorrhage, etc.) requiring surgical intervention or other medical therapy;
  • Patients with severe cardiac, renal, or central nerve system malformations (e.g., tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great arteries, cerebral dysplasia, etc.) and have poor prognosis;
  • Patients judged by the researchers that they can not comply with the study requirements.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Antibiotics group
Basic treatment + Prophylactic oral antibiotics
Drug: Basic treatment: sulperazone + ursodeoxycholic acid + compound glycyrrhizin + methylprednisolone + vitamin AD , D , E , K + imipenem or meropenem
Sulperazone 50mg/kg q8h is used intravenously from the first day to the 14th day after KP surgery. Ursodeoxycholic acid 20mg/kg/d p.o, starting from the 5th day after surgery for at least 2 years. Compound glycyrrhizin 20mg/d i.v, 1-4 days after operation, then switch to compound glycyrrhizin tablets 12.5mg b.i.d p.o until 6 months after KP. Methylprednisolone start at 4mg/kg/d i.v on the 8th day after operation, and decrease by 1mg/kg/d every three days. Starting at about the 15th day after operation, methylprednisolone 4mg/kg is given orally every other day, and the dose is gradually reduced at 10-12 weeks. Vitamin AD , D , E , K, are given orally from the 5th day after the KP for at least 2 months. Treatment of cholangitis: sulperazone 50mg/kg q8h i.v., and methylprednisolone could be used. If cholangitis is not controlled, imipenem or meropenem may be used.
Drug: Prophylactic oral antibiotics: compound sulfamethoxazole tablet (SMZ/TMP) + cefaclor
Compound sulfamethoxazole tablet (SMZ/TMP) 25 mg/kg/d p.o. and cefaclor 12.5 mg/kg/d p.o. alternately every 2 weeks, from post-operation day 15 to month 6.
Experimental: Non-antibiotics group
Basic treatment
Drug: Basic treatment: sulperazone + ursodeoxycholic acid + compound glycyrrhizin + methylprednisolone + vitamin AD , D , E , K + imipenem or meropenem
Sulperazone 50mg/kg q8h is used intravenously from the first day to the 14th day after KP surgery. Ursodeoxycholic acid 20mg/kg/d p.o, starting from the 5th day after surgery for at least 2 years. Compound glycyrrhizin 20mg/d i.v, 1-4 days after operation, then switch to compound glycyrrhizin tablets 12.5mg b.i.d p.o until 6 months after KP. Methylprednisolone start at 4mg/kg/d i.v on the 8th day after operation, and decrease by 1mg/kg/d every three days. Starting at about the 15th day after operation, methylprednisolone 4mg/kg is given orally every other day, and the dose is gradually reduced at 10-12 weeks. Vitamin AD , D , E , K, are given orally from the 5th day after the KP for at least 2 months. Treatment of cholangitis: sulperazone 50mg/kg q8h i.v., and methylprednisolone could be used. If cholangitis is not controlled, imipenem or meropenem may be used.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The occurrence of cholangitis (confirmed or suspected) within 6 months after KP
Time Frame: 6 months after KP

Definition of cholangitis:

A. Clinical elements

  1. Fever and/or shivering;
  2. Stool color change;
  3. New/increasing jaundice;
  4. Abdominal discomfort: vomiting, poor, feeding, irritability.

B. Laboratory and imaging elements

  1. Inflammatory response (WBC and/or CRP and/or PCT);
  2. Increased/increasing transaminases;
  3. Increased/increasing GGT and/or bilirubin;
  4. Bile lakes.

Suspected cholangitis: one item in A + one item in B. Confirmed cholangitis: two items in A + two items in B or "suspected cholangitis" + positive blood culture.

The diagnosis of cholangitis requires the exclusion of definite infections of other systems.
6 months after KP

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The occurrence of cholangitis (confirmed or suspected) within 1 year after KP
Time Frame: 1 year after KP
The definition of cholangitis is the same as primary outcome.
1 year after KP
The occurrence of jaundice clearance within 6 months after KP
Time Frame: 6 months after KP
Jaundice clearance is defined as total bilirubin (TB) less than 20 μmol/L.
6 months after KP
The occurrence of jaundice clearance within 1 year after KP
Time Frame: 1 year after KP
Jaundice clearance is defined as TB less than 20 μmol/L.
1 year after KP
The number of cholangitis recurrence within 6 months after KP
Time Frame: 6 months after KP
The definition of cholangitis is the same as primary outcome.
6 months after KP
The number of cholangitis recurrence within 1 year after KP
Time Frame: 1 year after KP
The definition of cholangitis is the same as primary outcome.
1 year after KP
The patient survive with native liver or not within 2 years after KP
Time Frame: 2 years after KP
2 years after KP
The weight gain of the patients from pre-operation to 6 months post KP
Time Frame: From pre-operation to 6 months post KP
Weight for height (length) Z-score is calculated based on the gender, age, and weight reference standards for children in China. The difference in weight for height (length) Z-score between pre-operation and 6 months post KP is regarded as weight gain.
From pre-operation to 6 months post KP
The weight gain of the patients from pre-operation to 1 year post KP
Time Frame: From pre-operation to 1 year post KP
Weight for height (length) Z-score is calculated based on the gender, age, and weight reference standards for children in China. The difference in weight for height (length) Z-score between pre-operation and 1 year post KP is regarded as weight gain.
From pre-operation to 1 year post KP
Changes in intestinal flora from post-operation week 2 to month 3
Time Frame: From post-operation week 2 to month 3
Fecal samples of 40 patients in each group are collected 2 weeks and 3 months after KP, and frozen at -80℃. 16s-rDNA sequencing is used to find out the changes in intestinal flora.
From post-operation week 2 to month 3
Changes in intestinal flora from post-operation week 2 to month 6
Time Frame: From post-operation week 2 to month 6
Fecal samples of 40 patients in each group are collected 2 weeks and 6 months after KP, and frozen at -80℃. 16s-rDNA sequencing is used to find out the changes in intestinal flora.
From post-operation week 2 to month 6
Liver parameters at post-operation month 6
Time Frame: 6 months after KP

Liver parameters: pediatric end-stage liver disease (PELD) score, liver stiffness measurement.

PELD score = [0.480×ln (total bilirubin) + 1.857×ln (international normalized ratio)-0.687×ln (albumin) + 0.436 × age score + 0.667 × growth arrest] × 10. Age score:1 point for age < 24 months, 0 for age ≥ 24 months. Growth arrest: 1 point for more than 2 standard deviations below the average, otherwise 0.

Liver stiffness measurement is measured by liver transient elastography.
6 months after KP
Liver parameters at post-operation month 12
Time Frame: 1 year after KP

Liver parameters: pediatric end-stage liver disease (PELD) score, liver stiffness measurement.

PELD score = [0.480×ln (total bilirubin) + 1.857×ln (international normalized ratio)-0.687×ln (albumin) + 0.436 × age score + 0.667 × growth arrest] × 10. Age score:1 point for age < 24 months, 0 for age ≥ 24 months. Growth arrest: 1 point for more than 2 standard deviations below the average, otherwise 0.

Liver stiffness measurement is measured by liver transient elastography.
1 year after KP

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Children's Hospital of Fudan University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

July 1, 2023

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2029

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 14, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 28, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

June 29, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 15, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 12, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • PACK

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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