Bay Biosciences provides high quality, clinical grade, liver biopsy tissue samples, FFPE tissue blocks with matched cryogenically preserved sera (serum), plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) biofluid samples from patients diagnosed with Jaundice.
The sera (serum), plasma and PBMC biofluid specimens are processed from jaundice patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.
Biopsy tissue and matched biofluid samples are collected from unique patients diagnosed with jaundice and are provided to a valued pharmaceutical customer for research, diagnostics, discovery and drug development.
The jaundice, sera (serum), plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) biofluids are processed from patients peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.
Jaundice Overview
Jaundice is a condition in which the skin, sclera (whites of the eyes) and mucous membranes turn yellow. This yellow color is caused by a high level of bilirubin, a yellow-orange bile pigment. Bile is fluid secreted by the liver. Bilirubin is formed from the breakdown of red blood cells.
The term jaundice is derived from the French word jaune, which means yellow. Jaundice is not a disease per se, but rather a visible sign of an underlying disease process.
- Jaundice is typically seen when the level of bilirubin in the blood exceeds 2.5-3 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter).
- Jaundice in adults can be caused by a variety of medical conditions and diseases, some of which could be serious and potentially life-threatening.
- Adult patients who develop jaundice needs to undergo a comprehensive medical evaluation and diagnostic tests in order to determine the cause.
- Jaundice in Neonatal (newborns) is a condition most often a benign condition that improves without serious after-effects.
According to march of march of dimes website Newborn jaundice is very common, around 60% or 3 in 5 babies have jaundice.
Causes of Jaundice
Jaundice in adults is caused by various medical conditions that affect the normal metabolism or excretion of bilirubin. Bilirubin is mostly formed from the daily breakdown and destruction of red blood cells (RBCs) in the bloodstream, which release hemoglobin as they rupture.
The heme portion of this hemoglobin molecule is then converted into bilirubin, which is transported in the bloodstream to the liver for further metabolism and excretion. In the liver, the bilirubin is conjugated with glucuronic acid (made more water-soluble), and is excreted into the gallbladder (where it is stored) and then eventually passed into the intestines.
In the intestines, a portion of the bilirubin is excreted in the feces, while some are metabolized by the intestinal bacteria to urobilinogen and excreted in the urine.
Jaundice occurs if there is a dysfunction of the normal metabolism and/or excretion of bilirubin. This disruption in the metabolism or excretion of bilirubin can occur at various stages, and it is, therefore, useful to classify the different causes of jaundice based on where the dysfunction occurs.
The causes of jaundice are generally classified as pre-hepatic (the problem arises before secretion to the liver), hepatic (the problem arises within the liver), and post-hepatic (the problem arises after bilirubin is excreted from the liver).
Adult patients can develop jaundice because of many different reasons. Following are some of the underlying conditions and diseases which may cause jaundice:
- Alcohol-related liver disease: If someone drinks too much alcohol over a long period of time, such as 8 to 10 years continuously, their liver could get seriously damaged. Liver diseases such as alcoholic cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis can damage the liver.
- Autoimmune disorders
- Blocked bile ducts: Bile ducts are thin tubes that carry a fluid called bile from the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine. Sometimes, the bile ducts get blocked by gallstones, cancer, or rare liver diseases, which can cause jaundice.
- Certain drugs and toxins: Drugs like acetaminophen, penicillin, birth control pills and steroids are linked to developing liver disease.
- Cirrhosis of the liver (caused by various conditions including alcohol toxicity)
- Crigler-Najjar syndrome
- Cholangitis
- Hepatitis: Most of the time, this infection is caused by a virus. It may be short-lived (acute) or chronic, which means it lasts for at least 6 months. Drugs or autoimmune disorders can cause hepatitis. Over time, it can damage the liver and lead to jaundice
- Gilbert’s syndrome
- Pancreatitis
- Pancreatic cancer: Pancreatic cancer can block the bile duct, causing jaundice
- Parasites (for example, liver flukes)
- Strictures of the bile ducts
- Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinomas)
Signs and Symptoms of Jaundice
Depending on the underlying cause of jaundice, patients may experience different symptoms. Some patients may have very few signs and symptoms, while others may experience more severe and pronounced symptoms.
Patients with jaundice may experience any of the following signs and symptoms:
- Abdominal Pain
- Confusion
- Diarrhea
- Fever and chills
- Dark-colored urine
- Headache
- Itchy skin
- Nausea and vomiting
- Rectal bleeding
- Loss of appetite
- Pale-colored stools
- Swelling of the legs
- Swelling and distension of the abdomen due to the accumulation of fluid (ascites)
- Unexplained weight loss
- Weakness
Diagnosis of Jaundice
Usually as a first step, doctors will conduct a bilirubin test, which measures the amount of the substance in the blood, a complete blood count (CBC) and other liver function tests are performed. If a patient has jaundice, the level of bilirubin will be high.
To determine the exact cause of jaundice a comprehensive medical evaluation is required Doctors will take a detailed history of patients illness and perform a physical exam, which can sometimes determine the cause of the jaundice. Initial blood testing will also be undertaken, which includes the following:
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- Electrolyte pane
- Lipase levels
- Liver function tests
Blood testing for exposure to hepatitis may also be performed. Additional blood testing may be ordered based on the initial results. A urinalysis will likely also be ordered.
Depending on the results of initial blood tests, further studies may be needed to help diagnose the underlying disease process. In certain cases, imaging studies will need to be obtained in order to evaluate for any abnormalities of the liver, gallbladder and pancreas. These imaging studies may include:
- Abdominal ultrasound
- CT scan (computerized tomography)
- HIDA scan (cholescintigraphy)
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)
Occasionally, jaundice patients will need further invasive testing to determine the cause of the condition. Procedures that may be ordered include endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or a liver biopsy.
Treatment for Jaundice
The treatment for jaundice depends entirely on the underlying cause of the condition. Once a diagnosis has been established, the appropriate course of treatment can then be initiated. Certain patients will require hospitalization, whereas others may be managed as outpatients at home.
- In certain patients with jaundice, the treatment will consist of supportive care and can be managed at home. For example, most cases of mild viral hepatitis can be managed at home with watchful waiting and close monitoring by your doctor (expectant management). Novel drugs for hepatitis C can offer cure for this condition.
- Alcohol cessation is necessary in patients with cirrhosis, alcoholic hepatitis, or acute pancreatitis secondary to alcohol use.
- Jaundice caused by drugs/medications/toxins requires discontinuation of the offending agent. In cases of intentional or unintentional Tylenol overdose, the antidote N-acetylcysteine (Mucomyst) may be required.
- Various medications may be used to treat the conditions leading to jaundice, such as steroids in the treatment of some autoimmune disorders. Certain patients with cirrhosis, for example, may require treatment with diuretics and lactulose.
- Antibiotics may be required for infectious causes of jaundice, or for the complications associated with certain conditions leading to jaundice (for example, cholangitis).
- Blood transfusions may be required in individuals with anemia from hemolysis or as a result of bleeding.
- Patients with cancer leading to jaundice will require consultation with an oncologist, and the treatment will vary depending on the type and staging of the cancer.
- Surgery and various invasive procedures may be required for certain patients with jaundice. For example, certain patients with gallstones may require surgery. Other individuals with liver failure/cirrhosis may require a surgery or a liver transplant.
Complications of Jaundice
The type of complication and the severity of complications vary with the underlying cause leading to jaundice. Certain individuals will not suffer any long-term after effects and will have a full recovery, while for others the appearance of jaundice will be the first indication of a life-threatening condition. A few of the potential complications include:
- Anemia
- Bleeding
- Brain dysfunction
- Cancer
- Chronic hepatitis
- Electrolyte abnormalities
- Infection/Sepsis
- Kidney failure
- Liver failure
Risk Factors of Jaundice
Jaundice most often happens as a result of an underlying disorder that either causes the production of too much bilirubin or prevents the liver from getting rid of it. Both of these result in bilirubin being deposited in tissues.
Following underlying conditions may cause jaundice:
- Acute inflammation of the liver: This may impair the ability of the liver to conjugate and secrete bilirubin, resulting in a buildup.
- Inflammation of the bile duct: This can prevent the secretion of bile and removal of bilirubin, causing jaundice.
- Obstruction of the bile duct: This prevents the liver from disposing of bilirubin.
- Hemolytic anemia: The production of bilirubin increases when large quantities of red blood cells are broken down.
- Gilbert’s syndrome: This is an inherited condition that impairs the ability of enzymes to process the excretion of bile.
- Cholestasis: This interrupts the flow of bile from the liver. The bile containing conjugated bilirubin remains in the liver instead of being excreted.
Bay Biosciences is a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens and human bio-fluid collections.
Samples available are cancer (tumor) tissue, cancer serum, cancer plasma cancer PBMC and human tissue samples from most other therapeutic areas and diseases.
Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own bio-repository, human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and from normal healthy donors available in all formats and types.
Our biobank procures and stores fully consented, deidentified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples and matched controls.
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This critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers and genetic information.
Patient’s data is extremely valuable for researchers and is used to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, other therapeutic areas and diseases.
Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and biological samples including cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.
Including fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, FFPE’s, tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood derived products such as serum, plasma and PBMC’s.
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Please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.
Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:
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