The risk predictive values of UK-PBC and GLOBE scoring system in Chinese patients with primary biliary cholangitis: the additional effect of anti-gp210

Prognostic scores in primary biliary cholangitis

Aim: Evaluating prognostic scores' utility in predicting ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) biochemical response (BR) and long-term liver-related complications in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) patients. Patients & methods: This retrospective single-center study included 50 predominantly female PBC patients (median age: 56) on UDCA treatment. BR was defined by Paris II criteria. Liver-related complications during a median 76-month follow-up were assessed. APRI, ALBI, Mayo, GLOBE and UK-PBC scores were calculated. Results: 64% achieved BR, while 40% experienced liver-related complications. All scores showed good BR prediction (concordance statistics: 0.76-0.94) and excellent negative predictive values for 5-year liver complications (concordance statistics: 0.73-0.89). Conclusion: Implementing these scores in clinical practice is encouraged due to their effectiveness in predicting BR- and liver-related events.

Autotaxin: A Potential biomarker for primary biliary cholangitis

Background

In some patients especially those AMA negative, the diagnosis may be a challenge requiring liver biopsy. This study determined whether autotaxin, a secreted lysophospholipase D encoded by the exonucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase 2 gene, can be used as a serum biomarker for primary biliary cholangitis.

Methods

Plasma samples were collected from 103 patients with PBC and 74 healthy controls. autotaxin levels were determined by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and its predictive value for diagnosing primary biliary cholangitis was analysed. The relationship between autotaxin and the clinical data was also evaluated.

Results

Autotaxin levels in patients with primary biliary cholangitis were significantly higher than those in healthy control (median: 60.7 ng/ml vs. 32.6 ng/ml, P < 0.001). The cut-off value of autotaxin in patients with primary biliary cholangitis was 38.5 ng/ml, and the positivity rate was 33.9 %, calculated twice. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 54.3 %, 93.1 %, 84.4 %, and 74.8 %, respectively, and the area under the curve was 0.73. Autotaxin level positively correlated with immunoglobulin M level (r = -0.22, P < 0.05) and Ludwig's classification (r = 0.76, P < 0.01) in patients with primary biliary cholangitis. The positivity rate of autotaxin (50.0 %) was higher than that of anti-sp100 (16.7 %) and anti-gp210 (11.1 %) antibodies in anti-mitochondrial antibody -negative patients with primary biliary cholangitis.

Conclusions

Autotaxin may be an effective noninvasive biomarker used in diagnosis, prognosis of primary biliary cholangitis, particularly in anti-mitochondrial antibody -negative patients.

MGAT5/TMEM163 variant is associated with prognosis in ursodeoxycholic acid-treated patients with primary biliary cholangitis

BACKGROUND

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic immune-mediated liver disease. Previous genome-wide meta-analysis has identified the association between variants in TMEM163 with PBC. Here we aimed to evaluate the association between variants near the reported risk loci of TMEM163 at 2q21.3 and prognosis of PBC patients.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of 347 PBC patients treated with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) for at least 1 year. We collected clinical data at diagnosis and 1 year after UDCA treatment. SNPs within 200 kb upstream and downstream of the lead variant were genotyped and screened.

RESULTS

We identified that rs661899 near MGAT5 and TMEM163 showed the strongest association with prognosis in PBC patients. Patients carrying the rs661899 T allele tended to respond incompletely to UDCA treatment and had worse performances in laboratory values including aspartate aminotransferase (53.5 vs 32 vs 28.5 U/L, p = 0.001), alkaline phosphate (157.25 vs 125 vs 113 U/L, p = 0.001), albumin (41.5 vs 42.3 vs 43.7 g/L, p = 0.008) and bilirubin (19.2 vs 14.9 vs 12.85 μmol/L, p = 0.001). GLOBE scores (p = 4.8 × 10-5) and UK-PBC risk scores (p = 4.6 × 10-4) were strongly correlated with rs661899 genotype. Patients with TT genotype had a higher risk for adverse events compared with CC genotype (p = 0.039) during the 1-year follow-up. Results were also verified in an independent cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

PBC patients carrying the rs661899 T allele are associated with poor prognosis and adverse outcomes after 1-year UDCA therapy.

Fenofibrate normalizes alkaline phosphatase and improves long-term outcomes in patients with advanced primary biliary cholangitis refractory to ursodeoxycholic acid

BACKGROUND

Although patients with advanced liver disease have been included in studies evaluating fibrates for the treatment of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), the frequency of biochemical responses and adverse effects for this group of patients was not reported separately and comprehensively.

AIMS

to evaluate the efficacy and safety of additional fenofibrate therapy in patients with advanced and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)-refractory PBC.

METHODS

Patients were analyzed retrospectively to determine the clinical therapeutic effects of UDCA with additional fenofibrate therapy versus continued UDCA monotherapy. The liver transplantation (LT)-free survival and the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) normalization rates were estimated using Cox regression analyses and Kaplan-Meier plots with inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW).

RESULTS

A total of 118 patients were included: 54 received UDCA alone and 64 received UDCA in combination with fenofibrate therapy. In the fenofibrate and UDCA groups, 37% and 11% of patients with advanced and UDCA-refractory PBC, respectively, achieved ALP normalization (P=0.001). Additional fenofibrate therapy improved both LT-free survival and ALP normalization rate after IPTW (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.07-0.75, P=0.015; and HR: 11.66, 95% CI: 5.02-27.06, P=0.001, respectively). These effects were supported by parallel changes in the rates of liver decompensation and histologic progression, and the United Kingdom (UK)-PBC and Globe risk scores. During the follow-up period, serum levels of ALP and aminotransferase decreased significantly, while total bilirubin, albumin, platelet, serum creatinine, and estimated glomerular filtration rate remained stable in fenofibrate-treated participants. No fenofibrate-related significant adverse events were observed in our cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

Additional fenofibrate therapy significantly improved LT-free survival and ALP normalization in patients with advanced and UDCA-refractory PBC. Furthermore, adding-on fenofibrate therapy appeared to be safe and well tolerated in this population.

Anti-gp210-positive primary biliary cholangitis: The dilemma of clinical treatment and emerging mechanisms

Anti-gp210 is the disease-specific anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Anti-gp210-positive PBC patients have worse responses to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) as compared with anti-gp210-negative patients. Moreover, anti-gp210-positive patients always present with more severe histopathologic features including lobular inflammation, interfacial hepatitis, and bile duct injury, and have a worse prognosis than their anti-gp210-negative counterparts. Previous studies have identified two antigenic epitopes recognized by anti-gp210. Although the pathogenetic mechanism of anti-gp210 production remains unclear, evidence suggests that the autoimmune response to anti-gp210 production might be due to molecular mimicry induced by bacteria or endogenous peptides. T cells and related cytokines play a critical role in the pathogenesis of PBC, however, the mechanism hasn't been fully understood. Thus, this review focuses on the clinicopathological characteristics of anti-gp210-positive PBC patients, the fundamental research of gp210 antigen, and the possible mechanism of anti-gp210 production to clarify the mechanism of anti-gp210-positive PBC and provide potential molecular targets for disease prevention and treatment in the future.

Risk Stratification in Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease with a heterogeneous presentation, symptomatology, disease progression, and response to therapy. The current risk stratification assessment, aimed at identifying patients with a higher risk of disease progression, encompasses an in-depth analysis of demographic data, clinical and laboratory findings, antibody profiles, and the evaluation of liver fibrosis using both invasive and noninvasive techniques. Treatment response scores after one year of therapy remain to date a major factor influencing the prognosis of PBC patients. While the initial therapeutic approach with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is universally applied, new second-line treatment options have recently emerged, with many others under investigation. Consequently, the prevailing one-size-fits-all approach is poised to be supplanted by tailored strategies, ensuring high-risk patients receive the most appropriate treatment regimen from diagnosis. This will require the development of a risk prediction model to assess, at the time of diagnosis, the course, outcome, and response to first and additional treatments of PBC patients. This manuscript provides a comprehensive overview of the current and emerging tools used for risk stratification in PBC and speculates on how these developments might shape the disease landscape in the near future.

Prevalence and risk factors of osteoporosis detected by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry among Chinese patients with primary biliary cholangitis

BACKGROUND

Osteoporosis is an extrahepatic complication of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) that increases the risk of fractures and mortality. However, Epidemiological studies of osteoporosis in patients with PBC in China and the Asia-Pacific region is lack.

AIM

To assess the prevalence and clinical characteristics of osteoporosis in Chinese patients with PBC.

METHODS

This retrospective analysis included consecutive patients with PBC from a tertiary care center in China who underwent bone mineral density (BMD) assessment using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry between January 2013 and December 2021. We defined subjects with T-scores ≤ -2.5 in any sites (L1 to L4, femoral neck, or total hip) as having osteoporosis. Demographic, serological, clinical, and histological data were collected. Independent risk factors for osteoporosis were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 268 patients with PBC [236 women (88.1%); mean age, 56.7 ± 10.6 years; 163 liver biopsies (60.8%)] were included. The overall prevalence of osteoporosis in patients with PBC was 45.5% (122/268), with the prevalence of osteoporosis in women and men being 47.0% and 34.4%, respectively. The prevalence of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women was significantly higher than that in premenopausal women (56.3% vs 21.0%, P < 0.001). Osteoporosis in patients with PBC is associated with age, fatigue, menopausal status, previous steroid therapy, body mass index (BMI), splenomegaly, gastroesophageal varices, ascites, Mayo risk score, histological stage, alanine aminotransferase, albumin, bilirubin, platelet and prothrombin activity. Multivariate regression analysis identified that older age, lower BMI, previous steroid therapy, higher Mayo risk score, and advanced histological stage as the main independent risk factors for osteoporosis in PBC.

CONCLUSION

Osteoporosis is very common in Chinese patients with PBC, allowing for prior screening of BMD in those PBC patients with older age, lower BMI, previous steroid therapy and advanced liver disease.

Guidelines on the Diagnosis and Management of Primary Biliary Cholangitis (2021)

In 2015, the Chinese Society of Hepatology and the Chinese Society of Gastroenterology published a consensus on primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). In the past years, numerous clinical studies have been published in the field of PBC. To guide the clinical diagnosis and management of PBC patients, the Chinese Society of Hepatology invited a panel of experts to assess the new clinical evidence and formulate the current guidelines.

The Albumin-Bilirubin Score as a Predictor of Liver-Related Mortality in Primary Biliary Cholangitis with Compensated Cirrhosis

BACKGROUND

Although several prognostic scores have been reported to correlate with the prognosis of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) patients, there are limited tools to predict the prognosis of PBC with compensated cirrhosis. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic performance of the albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score in PBC patients with compensated cirrhosis.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective longitudinal study of 219 patients with compensated PBC cirrhosis to evaluate the prognostic performance of the ALBI using Cox regression model, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

During follow-up, a total of 19 subjects (8.7%) met the primary endpoint of liver-related death or liver transplantation (LT). Patients who died/underwent LT have higher ALBI score (-1.06 vs. -2.06, p < 0.001) at baseline than those who survived. ALBI score (hazard ratio: 15.011, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.045-44.665, p < 0.001) was associated with an increase in liver-related mortality or LT. ALBI score had the best discriminative capacity to predict the 5-year liver-related mortality (area under the ROC curve: 0.871, 95% CI [0.820, 0.913]) compared with other prognostic scores. The ROC curve showed that the best cut-off value of ALBI score was -1.47, with 90.0% sensitivity and 76.6% specificity. Also, the probability of transplant-free survival decreased with increasing ALBI grade (log-rank p = 0.003). The 5-year transplant-free survival rates of patients in grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3 were 100.0%, 96.4%, and 89.4%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

ALBI score is a simple and effective predictive factor estimating the clinical outcome of patients with compensated PBC cirrhosis and provides better prognostic performance compared with other prognostic scores.

Correlation between individual autoantibodies and clinical features in primary biliary cholangitis: results of a retrospective longitudinal study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an immune-mediated liver disease. The immunological profile seems to relate to clinical prognosis. This study aims to determine the role of autoantibodies in the course of liver disease and in the response to ursodeoxycholic acid.

METHODS

Between January 2016 and December 2020, 143 patients with PBC who underwent immunological liver profile evaluation were enrolled. All data were extracted retrospectively from electronic clinical records. Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test and Mann-Whitney test were used to evaluate the relationship between autoantibodies and biochemical parameters, clinical outcomes and therapeutic response scores. A significance level of 0.05 was used.

RESULTS

Antimitochondrial antibodies were present in 91.6%, antiglycoprotein-210 antibody (anti-gp210) in 18.2% and anti-Sp100 in 19.6% of patients. The incidence of liver-related death was higher in patients with autoimmune hepatitis variants. The occurrence of cirrhosis or portal hypertension was not linked to the presence of any of the autoantibodies tested. No relationship was found with the probability of dying or being transplanted. Patients with anti-Sp100 antibodies had higher baseline levels of aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase and lower immunoglobulin M levels. Patients with anti-gp210 were more likely to have a lower median transplant-free survival rate and higher median risk of liver transplant or liver-related death using the GLOBE and UK-PBC scores.

CONCLUSION

Our findings confirm a strong association between anti-gp210 antibodies and a worse outcome. The association between anti-Sp100 and hepatic lesions requires further elucidation.

Using two-step cluster analysis to classify inpatients with primary biliary cholangitis based on autoantibodies: A real-world retrospective study of 537 patients in China

Background

A variety of autoantibodies have been detected in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), while the presence of autoantibody clusters and their clinical significance have not been fully understood. We aimed at defining autoantibody clusters and to better understand the clinical features and prognosis of PBC patients based on autoantibody clusters under real-world conditions.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 788 inpatients with PBC evaluated between October 2008 and July 2019, and included 537 patients. Nineteen autoantibodies which were measured routinely were investigated for cluster analysis. Two-step clustering, Kaplan-Meier survival, and Cox regression analyses were used.

Results

Five clusters were defined. A cluster of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and anti-gp210 positive patients were identified with a high rate of cirrhosis at baseline and low survival rate; a cluster of ANA, anti-centromere antibodies (ACA) and/or anti-CENP-B female dominant patients with older disease onset, low level of platelet count at baseline, high rate of hepatic decompensation, and low survival rate was also characterized; and another cluster of anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA) and/or AMA-M2, anti-Ro52 and a high rate of anti-gp210 positive patients were identified with a high proportion of male patients and low survival rate. A subgroup of patients with anti-SSA and/or anti-SSB coexists with SjS was also identified; patients with only AMA and/or AMA-M2-positive with a benign clinical outcome and relatively high complication of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were also identified. Only anti-gp210 was considered as a significant predictor for poor outcomes especially in patients with cirrhosis.

Conclusion

Clustering methods allow the identification of distinct autoantibody profiles of PBC that form clinical subsets and can be useful for personalized approaches to diagnosis, clinical management, and the prediction of clinical outcomes. Anti-gp210 was the strongest predictive factor for poor outcomes especially in PBC patients with cirrhosis under real-world conditions.

Fenofibrate improves GLOBE and UK-PBC scores and histological features in primary biliary cholangitis

BACKGROUND

Fenofibrate (FF) has been suggested as a second-line therapy for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) with suboptimal response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). But its long-term effect is unclear.

METHODS

From a retrospective cohort (N.=838), we enrolled 106 UDCA-refractory PBC patients, among them 62 received UDCA monotherapy (UDCA group) and 44 received FF combined with UDCA (UDCA+FF group). Changes of liver biochemistries and prognosis after treatment were determined. In addition, sequential liver biopsies were used to assess the effect of FF on histological parameters.

RESULTS

We found adding FF could significantly reduce serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), but for patients with pretreatment ALP≥1.67 upper limit of normal (ULN), the significant decline of serum ALP was only observed in the UDCA+FF group after 1 year of therapy. The mean GLOBE Score and the liver transplant-free survival predicted by GLOBE Score were both improved significantly in patients receiving UDCA+FF after 1 year of therapy. The liver-related death or liver transplant calculated using UK-PBC risk score was significantly reduced in patients receiving UDCA+FF after 1 year of therapy. Although there was no marked difference in the final histological analysis after 3 years of therapy, patients receiving UDCA+FF had improvements or stabilization in fibrosis (85.7%), and bile duct loss (78.6%) were more than that of patients receiving UDCA (70.6% and 76.5%, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Adding FF improves GLOBE and UK-PBC scores and is also associated with the improvements or stabilization of disease features, including fibrosis and ductular injury.

Treatment of ursodeoxycholic acid with glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants may improve the long-term survival rate in primary biliary cholangitis patients

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune cholestatic liver disease. The clinical effectiveness of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) plus glucocorticoids and/or immunosuppressants remains controversial in PBC patients. The study aimed to compare the efficacy of monotherapy and combination therapy in patients with PBC and to assess the factors affecting the efficacy. In this retrospective study, 266 patients diagnosed with PBC were divided into monotherapy group (UDCA), double therapy group (UDCA plus glucocorticoids or immunosuppressants), and triple therapy group (UDCA plus glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants) according to different treatments. Demographic characteristics, immune parameters, biochemistry profiles, and other indicators were evaluated at baseline, 6 months, and 1 year following treatment. The prognosis was evaluated using the Paris II standard. The liver transplant-free survival at 3, 5, 10, and 15 years was predicted by GLOBE score. All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS (version 24) software (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL). The long-term survival rate of the triple therapy group was significantly improved compared with the monotherapy group (P = .005). In addition, multivariate analysis showed that abnormal platelet count, alkaline phosphatase, and albumin levels were risk factors for poor response. When IgG levels were elevated but below twice the upper limit of normal, the clinical benefit was not significant compared with monotherapy (P > .05). Compared with monotherapy and double therapy, triple therapy may improve the long-term survival rate of PBC patients. Abnormal platelet count, alkaline phosphatase, and albumin levels were associated with a poor prognosis.

Incomplete response to ursodeoxycholic acid in primary biliary cholangitis: criteria, epidemiology, and possible mechanisms

INTRODUCTION

As a common autoimmune disease with the characteristic of early complication, primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) leads to an increasing number of mortalities among people with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) waiting for liver transplantation. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is the only approved first-line medicine for PBC, and a good response to treatment could acquire an ideal prognosis. Patients with poor UDCA response usually have more adverse outcomes and worse survival, therefore, the management of this group become a major consideration.

AREAS COVERED

Due to the complexity of race and environment for PBC, different criteria for UDCA response exhibit various predictive performances. Factors affecting UDCA response conditions include gender, age, ethnicity, serum indicators, auto-antibodies, and autoimmune comorbidities, while no agreement has been reached. In this review, we mainly focus on cellular senescence, immune-mediated damage, and vitamin D deficiency as possible mechanisms for UDCA non-responders.

EXPERT OPINION

The pathogenesis of PBC has yet to be clarified. Immunology-related mechanisms and therapy targets ought to be the main effort made for further study. Irrespective of the response condition, UDCA is recommended for routine administration in all PBC patients without contraindication. Ongoing clinical trials of second-line and additional therapy exhibit promising prospects.

Prognostic Scoring Systems in Primary Biliary Cholangitis: An Update

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a complex, chronic disease with a heterogeneous presentation, disease progression, and response to therapy. Several prognostic models based on disease stage and/or treatment response enhance risk stratification and therapeutic management. Recent work on disease modeling proposed early prediction of outcomes at PBC onset, yet this has not been implemented in clinical practice. Although early stratification of patients based on their individual risk of developing end-stage liver disease may prove cost-effective and actually become matter of medical deontology to timely offer the best therapeutic option, given the forthcoming availability of novel, disease-modifying drugs. This review outlines established and novel prognostic systems in PBC and provides some perspectives on the potential role of omics-derived biomarkers in developing reliable risk prediction models and promoting the implementation of personalized medicine in PBC.

The prognostic value of antibodies to gp210 among patients with primary biliary cholangitis in Northeast China

BACKGROUND

Whether the anti-gp210 antibody can be used as a biomarker in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) remains controversial.

AIMS

We aimed to investigate the association between anti-gp210 antibodies and prognosis in ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)-treated PBC patients.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 180 UDCA-treated PBC patients to assess the prognostic value of anti-gp210 antibodies using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis.

RESULTS

Of the patients included in our analysis, 50 (27.8%) were anti-gp210 positive, and 130 (72.2%) were anti-gp210 negative. The incidence of liver-related death or transplantation was more common in the anti-gp210 + group (22.0 vs. 9.2%, P=0.022). The five-year transplant-free survival rates of anti-gp210-positive patients vs. anti-gp210-negative patients were 77.0% and 90.3%, respectively. We found that the probability of transplant-free survival was significantly lower in the anti-gp210-positive patients than in the anti-gp210-negative patients (log-rank P=0.004). After adjusting for potential confounders using multivariable Cox regression model, positivity for anti-gp210 antibody (hazard ratio: 4.619, 95% confidence interval: 1.895-11.261, P=0.001) was found to be independently associated with an increase in liver-related mortality or transplantation.

CONCLUSION

In this cohort of UDCA-treated PBC patients, positivity for anti-gp210 antibody was independently associated with a higher risk of liver-related death or transplantation.

Morphological, Functional, and Tissue Characterization of Silent Myocardial Involvement in Patients With Primary Biliary Cholangitis

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is a major complication and cause of morbidity in end-stage primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). However, it is unclear whether there is clinically silent myocardial involvement at the early stage of PBC before cirrhosis and cardiac manifestations. This prospective, three-center, multi-modality cardiac imaging study on the early identification of myocardial impairment in PBC (EARLY-MYO-PBC) was designed to identify silent myocardial impairment in PBC patients without cardiac manifestations.

METHODS

A total of 112 subjects (56 with PBC and 56 age- and sex-matched controls) undergoing cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) were enrolled. Demographic, serologic, and cardiac imaging data were prospectively collected. All participants had no cardiac discomfort or previous heart disease and had normal electrocardiographic findings.

RESULTS

Subclinical myocardial involvement, as evidenced by cardiac morphologic, functional, and tissue characterization changes on CMR, including hyperdynamic left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (median, 75% in PBC patients vs 69% in controls, P = .029), subclinical myocardial edema by T2-short tau inversion recovery (21% vs 2% in controls, P = .001), elevated extracellular matrix indices (30% vs 26% in controls, P < .001), and impaired myocardial viability by positive late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) (36%), was detected in PBC patients. Importantly, a mid-wall "stripe" at the LV septum was identified as a PBC-specific LGE pattern that differs from other known cardiomyopathies. In multivariate analysis, gp210 positivity (odds ratio [OR] = 9.909, P = .010), lower hemoglobin (OR = 0.919, P = .004), and body mass index (OR = 0.638, P = .005) were independent predictors of cardiac abnormalities in PBC.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates clinically silent cardiac impairment with specific CMR patterns in PBC, allowing optimal screening for early myocardial impairment and potentially timely therapies. (Trial registration no.: NCT03545672).

Increased sensitivity of gp210 autoantibody detection using a newly designed gp210 antigen

OBJECTIVES

The detection of autoantibody to glycoprotein 210 (gp210 Ab) against a 15 amino-acid peptide epitope by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been widely used in the diagnosis of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). However, this small peptide antigen presents spatial limitations for antibody access, which reduces the sensitivity of autoantibody detection. A recombinant gp210 antigen was constructed for increased sensitivity in antibody detection is described here.

METHODS

The gp210 C terminal 18 amino acid coding sequence was ligated to the modified C-terminal 108 amino acid coding sequence of human serum albumin (mHSA108) and produced as a recombinant gp210 antigen mHSA108-gp210-C18. Measurements of gp210 Ab using the gp210 C-terminal 25 amino acid peptide (gp210-C25) and mHSA108-gp210-C18 by in-house ELISA were compared. ELISAs with mHSA108-gp210-C18 and commercial INOVA kit for gp210 Ab detection were also compared in PBC patients and healthy controls. The correlation between the two assays was analyzed and their efficiency in diagnosing was compared.

RESULTS

Of 86 PBC samples, 35 (40.70%) and 44 (52.33%) positive samples were detected for anti-gp210 Ab using gp210-C25 and mHSA108-gp210-C18, respectively. Of 252 samples from PBC, 114 (45.24%) were positive for mHSA108-gp210-C18 ELISA whereas 94 (37.3%) for commercial ELISA (INOVA). All positive samples detected with commercial ELISA kit were also tested positive in mHSA108-gp210-C18 ELISA. Among 374 patients with other autoimmune diseases, anti-gp210 Ab were detected by mHSA108-gp210-C18 ELISA in 0.95% systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients (2/210), 13.04% rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients (13/97), and 1.47% of Sjögren's Syndrome (SS) patients (1/67).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to the gp210 peptide antigen, the sensitivity of the ELISA system using mHSA108-gp210-C18 antigen was improved. The novel gp210 antigen could be useful for screening patients known to be at increased risk of developing PBC.

Real-World Management of Patients with Primary Biliary Cholangitis-A Retrospective Study from a Tertiary Medical Center in Israel

Background: Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a rare autoimmune liver disease with variation in prevalence, phenotype and prognosis across different geographical regions. Little is known about PBC in Israel. Our aim was to characterize the demography, clinical presentation, treatment patterns and prognosis in a cohort of PBC patients followed in a referral center in central Israel. Methods: Clinical, demographic and laboratory data were collected from the medical records of PBC patients followed at Tel Aviv Medical Center in the years 2003–2020. Results: We have identified 189 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of PBC; 92.6% were female and the mean age at diagnosis was 54.7 years. Thirty-nine percent were diagnosed with another autoimmune disease and 5.9% were diagnosed with a PBC-AIH (autoimmune hepatitis) variant syndrome. Ninety-six percent were treated with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) at a mean dose of 13.3 mg/kg. A total of 28.1% were found with inadequate response to UDCA according to the Toronto criteria, and 53% of the UDCA non-responders were treated with bezafibrate. Younger age at diagnosis, higher baseline levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), AIH-PBC variant and positive anti-smooth muscle antibodies (ASMA) were associated with an inadequate UDCA response. In a multivariable analysis, higher ALP at diagnosis (OR = 1.92 CI 1.11–3.20 per 50-unit change, p = 0.018) and ASMA (OR = 27.6 CI 2.58–295, p = 0.006) independently predicted inadequate UDCA response. Higher alanine transaminase (ALT), ALP and GGT, lower albumin, younger age at diagnosis and pruritus conferred an increased risk for disease progression. Conclusions: Disease characteristics, treatment patterns, response to therapy and prognosis of a PBC patient cohort in a tertiary center in central Israel were revealed. The results highlight the importance of risk stratification in PBC, specifically in younger patients, those presenting with a high level of liver enzymes and in ASMA-positive patients with an assumed diagnosis of the AIH-PBC variant.

EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines on non-invasive tests for evaluation of liver disease severity and prognosis - 2021 update

Non-invasive tests are increasingly being used to improve the diagnosis and prognostication of chronic liver diseases across aetiologies. Herein, we provide the latest update to the EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines on the use of non-invasive tests for the evaluation of liver disease severity and prognosis, focusing on the topics for which relevant evidence has been published in the last 5 years.

Antibodies to gp210 and understanding risk in patients with primary biliary cholangitis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

A variety of auto-antibody assays are available as part of the clinical care of patients with liver disease. We sought to better understand the clinical utility of immune serological testing in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).

METHODS

We retrospectively analysed data from 2846 patients investigated for liver disease at a UK liver centre between 2001 and 2017. A total of 499 patients with PBC were identified. Immune serology results were examined for their diagnostic utility and prognostic significance to predict transplant-free survival.

RESULTS

Antimitochondrial antibodies (AMAs) were specific (94.5%) and sensitive (85.6%) for PBC; antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) against glycoprotein 210 (gp210) and sp100 were specific (>98%) but not sensitive (<25%). The disease-specific ANAs were detectable in 29.6% of AMA-negative patients. Anti-gp210 auto-antibodies were significantly associated with elevated serum aminotransferase activity, bilirubin and liver stiffness at presentation (P < .010). Anti-gp210 auto-antibodies predicted non-response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) by GLOBE criteria (39.3% vs 16.7%, P = .005). Moreover, anti-gp210 was independently associated with death or liver transplantation (HR 3.22, 95% CI 1.49-6.96; P = .003), after accounting for other significant baseline determinants of outcome. Serologic finding of anti-gp210 antibodies conferred an independent risk of death or transplantation (HR 4.13, 95% CI 1.85-9.22; P = .001) after accounting for treatment response.

CONCLUSION

In our single-centre cohort of patients with PBC, the presence of anti-gp210 was associated with an adverse presenting phenotype, predicted treatment non-response and independently predicted reduced transplant-free survival.

Treatment of primary biliary cholangitis with ursodeoxycholic acid, prednisolone and immunosuppressants in patients not responding to ursodeoxycholic acid alone and the prognostic indicators

BACKGROUND AND AIM

We reviewed the medical records of primary biliary cholangitis patients who were diagnosed by liver biopsy and treated with the corresponding treatment. We evaluated the therapeutic effect and long-term prognostic indicators.

METHODS

This observational cohort study enrolled 80 eligible patients diagnosed by liver biopsy between December 2013 and December 2018 in our department. UDCA monotherapy or UDCA added to prednisolone and immunosuppressant triple therapy was prescribed to patients. We analyzed and compared the demographic characteristics, biochemistry profiles, immune parameters, and noninvasive liver fibrosis assessments at baseline as well as the treatment efficacy, long-term outcomes and adverse effects at baseline and at each visit between the two groups. The indicators that could affect prognosis were assessed.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight primary biliary cholangitis patients received UDCA monotherapy (group A), and another 42 patients received UDCA, prednisolone and immunosuppressant triple therapy (group B). After therapy, all patients showed significant improvements in liver biochemical parameters, immune indicators, and noninvasive fibrosis indicators (Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4), aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI)), all P values<0.0001. The Mayo score also decreased significantly after treatment (P=0.022). Triple therapy was more effective, and there was a significant difference between the two groups. In addition, multivariate analysis showed that anti-gp210 antibody positivity; antimitochondrial antibody (AMA) negativity; high alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TBIL) and globulin levels; and a severe degree of fibrosis at baseline were independent predictors of a poor prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Triple therapy was a treatment option for UDCA-refractory PBC patients. Anti-gp210 antibody positivity; AMA negativity; high ALP, TBIL and globulin levels; and a severe degree of fibrosis at baseline were associated with a poor prognosis.

Review article: pathophysiology and management of primary biliary cholangitis

BACKGROUND

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), an immune-mediated disease characterised by destruction of intrahepatic bile ducts, results in progressive damage to the biliary tree, cholestasis and ultimately advanced liver disease. In the last decade, advances in practice have improved clinical care, driven novel therapeutic options and improved risk stratification tools.

AIMS

To provide an overview of the disease characteristics of PBC and review a patient-centred management approach for the clinical team caring for those with PBC.

METHODS

We reviewed the current literature and guidelines on PBC with a focus on management and therapies.

RESULTS

A confident diagnosis of PBC is usually made based on serum liver tests and immune serology. Management of PBC should focus on three main 'process' pillars: (a) treat and risk-stratify through use of biochemical and prognostic criteria; (b) manage concurrent symptoms and other associated diseases; and (c) stage disease, monitor progression and prevent complications. With ongoing complexities in management, including a newly licensed therapy (obeticholic acid) and alternative non-licensed treatments and ongoing clinical trials, discussion with PBC expert centres is encouraged.

CONCLUSIONS

PBC is a dynamic disease wherein current treatment goals have become appropriately ambitious. Goals of care should prioritise prevention of end-stage liver disease and amelioration of patient symptom burden for all.

Efficacy of ursodeoxycholic acid combined with prednisolone and immunosuppressant triple therapy in the treatment of refractory primary biliary cholangitis

BACKGROUND AND AIM

To explore the efficacy treatment regimen in refractory PBC.

METHODS

Triple treatment including ursodeoxycholic acid, prednisolone and immunosuppressant was prescribed to 47 refractory patients. Biochemistries, immune parameters, non-invasive liver fibrosis assessments were measured during follow-up.

RESULTS

Triple therapy resulted in significant decrease in ALP, GGT, ALT, AST, TBIL, ALB, IgG, IgM, APRI, FIB-4 and S-INDEX. The biochemical cumulative normalization rates of ALP and other biochemical parameters were higher in long-term follow-up. Poor outcome was observed in patients with lower ALB, higher TBIL, PT, sp100 positivity and advanced liver pathology at baseline. Osteoporosis and bone fracture were observed in 15% patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Triple therapy is associated with marked decrease and normalization of ALP and other parameters. ALB, TBIL, PT, sp100 and pathology were related with poor outcome. Osteoporosis should be closely monitored.

The use of biologics in the treatment of autoimmune liver disease

Introduction: Autoimmune liver diseases include autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and juvenile autoimmune hepatitis (JAIH). The pathophysiologic features of each disease vary, but generally include presence of autoantibodies, cytokine abnormalities, and/or T and B cell autoreactivity.Areas covered: This article compares conventional therapy with newer biologics available for treatment of autoimmune liver diseases. Conventional therapy involves the use of immunosuppressive agents, or other treatment modalities for specific autoimmune liver diseases such as ursodeoxycholic acid and fibrates for PBC. Biologics were developed to target the production of autoantibodies by B cells, the presence of proinflammatory cytokines, adhesion molecules or T and B cell activation.Expert opinion: Despite the promise of biologics being able to target specific cellular and humoral pathways, results have been generally poor, and safety has not been as expected. Cases of autoimmune hepatitis have also developed with the use of these biologicals. Reasons for the lack of success of biologics in treating autoimmune liver disease has led to a reevaluation of our understanding of underlying pathogenesis, demonstrating that while our knowledge of the immunity has improved over the past two decades, it is far from complete.

Bezafibrate Improves GLOBE and UK-PBC Scores and Long-Term Outcomes in Patients With Primary Biliary Cholangitis

In Japan, bezafibrate (BF) is a second-line agent for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) that is refractory to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) treatment. From a retrospective cohort (n = 873) from the Japan PBC Study Group, we enrolled 118 patients who had received UDCA monotherapy for at least 1 year followed by combination therapy with UDCA+BF for at least 1 year. GLOBE and UK-PBC scores after UDCA monotherapy (i.e., immediately before UDCA+BF combination therapy) were compared with those after 1 year of UDCA+BF combination therapy. The real outcomes of enrolled patients estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis were compared with the predicted outcomes calculated using GLOBE and UK-PBC scores. In addition, the hazard ratio of BF treatment was calculated using propensity score analysis. The mean GLOBE score before the combination therapy was 0.504 ± 0.080, which improved significantly to 0.115 ± 0.085 (P < 0.0001) after 1 year of combination therapy. The real liver transplant-free survival of enrolled patients was significantly better than that predicted by GLOBE score before introducing BF. Combination therapy did not significantly improve the real rates of liver transplantation or liver-related death compared with those predicted by UK-PBC risk score before introducing BF, but the predicted risk was significantly reduced by the addition of BF (P < 0.0001). Cox regression analysis with inverse probability of treatment weighting showed that the addition of BF significantly reduced the hazard of liver transplant or liver-related death in patients who, after 1 year of UDCA monotherapy, had normal serum bilirubin (adjusted hazard ratio 0.09, 95% confidence interval 0.01-0.60, P = 0.013). Conclusion: Addition of BF to UDCA monotherapy improves not only GLOBE and UK-PBC scores but also the long-term prognosis of PBC patients, especially those with early-stage PBC.

Individualizing Care: Management Beyond Medical Therapy

The evolving research landscape, with advances in the omics technologies, availability of large-scale patient cohorts, and forthcoming availability of novel drugs in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), is creating a unique opportunity for developing a precision medicine (PM) program. PM has potential to change the paradigm of management. Diagnostic work-up of PBC patients may include information on genetic variants and molecular signature to define a particular subtype of disease and provide an estimate of treatment response and survival. To reach this point, specific interventions, such as sequencing more genomes, creating bigger biobanks, and linking biological information to health data, are needed.

Early Prognostic Utility of Gp210 Antibody-Positive Rate in Primary Biliary Cholangitis: A Meta-Analysis

Background

The prevalence of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), which is an autoimmune liver disease, has increased over time. PBC often leads to severe consequences, such as liver failure and death. Stratification tools using biochemical liver tests are needed to assess and predict the progression of this disease at the time of PBC diagnosis.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase for studies focused on the relationship between positive rates of Gp210 antibodies and poor prognosis of PBC. The primary end point was the number of PBC patients with poor outcome in the Gp210 antibody (+) and Gp210 antibody (-) groups. The secondary end point was the basic serum level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TBIL), and IgM in the two groups. The age and number of female patients were also measured.

Results

A total of 5 studies, comprising 737 patients, were included in this analysis. A positive rate of Gp210 antibodies was positively correlated with poor outcomes and with many types of progression in PBC, especially liver failure. Mortality was also higher in the Gp210 antibody (+) group. Furthermore, the serum levels of ALP and IgM were associated with the positive rate of Gp210 antibodies, while the serum levels of ALT and TBIL were not. The age and number of female patients were also not associated with the positive rate of Gp210 antibodies.

Conclusion

PBC-specific Gp120 antibodies are optimal predictors of PBC prognosis at the time of diagnosis. Some other liver function indicators, such as ALP and IgM, can be used as predictors to complement Gp210 antibodies to establish a stratification tool to predict the prognosis of PBC at the time of diagnosis.

Rate of non-response to ursodeoxycholic acid in a large real-world cohort of primary biliary cholangitis patients in Italy

Background and aim: Response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is crucial for the prediction of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) prognosis, and different response criteria were validated and proposed by reference centers for PBC. To date, rates of non-response to UDCA from real-world series are lacking.Methods: Hepatology/Gastroenterology centers belonging to 'Club Epatologi Ospedalieri' (CLEO) and 'Associazione Italiana Gastroenterologi Ospedalieri' (AIGO) were invited to participate in the study, and asked to extract all patients followed for PBC, without any selection or exclusion, and fill in the database provided.Results: Thirty-four centers were enrolled throughout Italy, for a total of 713 patients. None of these centers, except one, had a hepatology outpatient clinic devoted to the care of patients with autoimmune liver diseases. After excluding 79 cases of PBC/autoimmune hepatitis overlaps, 634 patients were analyzed: mean age, 64.4 ± 12.0 years; 91.2% females; F/M 10.3/1. For patients with at least 1 year of UDCA treatment (583), rates of non-response to UDCA were evaluated according to the Paris-I/-II, Toronto and GLOBE criteria, and compared with those in the original cohorts: 27% vs 39% in Paris-I cohort; 39.6% vs 52% in Paris-II; 20.1% vs 43.5% in Toronto; 15.7% vs 30% in GLOBE (age-specific cutoffs). Mean alkaline phosphatase levels on UDCA treatment, and the age-adjusted prevalence of F3/F4 fibrosis, appeared lower in this PBC population than in reference cohorts.Conclusions: A mean ∼15% better response to UDCA is observed in a real-world PBC population, probably due to migration of some of most severe/advanced cases to PBC referral centers.

The challenges of primary biliary cholangitis: What is new and what needs to be done

Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) is an uncommon, chronic, cholangiopathy of autoimmune origin and unknown etiology characterized by positive anti-mitochondrial autoantibodies (AMA), female preponderance and progression to cirrhosis if left untreated. The diagnosis is based on AMA- or PBC-specific anti-nuclear antibody (ANA)-positivity in the presence of a cholestatic biochemical profile, histologic confirmation being mandatory only in seronegative cases. First-line treatment is ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), which is effective in preventing disease progression in about two thirds of the patients. The only approved second-line treatment is obeticholic acid. This article summarizes the most relevant conclusions of a meeting held in Lugano, Switzerland, from September 23rd-25th 2018, gathering basic and clinical scientists with various background from around the world to discuss the latest advances in PBC research. The meeting was dedicated to Ian Mackay, pioneer in the field of autoimmune liver diseases. The role of liver histology needs to be reconsidered: liver pathology consistent with PBC in AMA-positive individuals without biochemical cholestasis is increasingly reported, raising the question as to whether biochemical cholestasis is a reliable disease marker for both clinical practice and trials. The urgent need for new biomarkers, including more accurate markers of cholestasis, was also widely discussed during the meeting. Moreover, new insights in interactions of bile acids with biliary epithelia in PBC provide solid evidence of a role for impaired epithelial protection against potentially toxic hydrophobic bile acids, raising the fundamental question as to whether this bile acid-induced epithelial damage is the cause or the consequence of the autoimmune attack to the biliary epithelium. Strategies are needed to identify difficult-to-treat patients at an early disease stage, when new therapeutic approaches targeting immunologic pathways, in addition to bile acid-based therapies, may be effective. In conclusion, using interdisciplinary approaches, groundbreaking advances can be expected before long in respect to our understanding of the etiopathogenesis of PBC, with the ultimate aim of improving its treatment.

Prediction of Transplant-Free Survival through Albumin-Bilirubin Score in Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Albumin–bilirubin (ALBI) grade is defined using the ALBI score, which is calculated based on total serum bilirubin and albumin. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic ability of the ALBI score for determining hepatic fibrosis stage and transplant-free survival in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) patients. A total of 181 Japanese patients with biopsy-proven or serologically diagnosed PBC were enrolled. The pathological stage was assessed using the Scheuer classification. The ALBI score differentiated fibrosis in stage 4 from that of 3 in the biopsy-proven cohort (p < 0.05). With an ALBI score cut-off value of −1.679, the sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 91.1%, respectively, with a likelihood ratio of 12.3 to differentiate stage 4 from stages 1–3. The ALBI score at the beginning of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) prescription correlated with the two prognostic scores calculated after 1-year UDCA treatment. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that the baseline ALBI score differentiated liver transplant-free survival (p < 0.05). The ALBI score presented a greater hazard ratio for transplant-free survival than aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) in Cox proportional hazard model. In conclusion, ALBI score indicates pathological stage in Japanese PBC patients and scores before UDCA prescription predict better liver transplant-free survival, which correlated well with the two major prognostic scores. The prognosis-predicting ability of the ALBI score might surpass that of APRI.

Precision medicine in primary biliary cholangitis

For many years the one-size-fits-all approach has been the only one available to manage patients affected by primary biliary cholangitis. The introduction of obeticholic acid in 2016 as a second-line treatment, together with the creation and validation of several biochemically based scores to stratify the risk of progressive disease, has opened up the need to redefine clinical practice by changing the actual paradigm. The precision medicine initiative is a model of patient-centered health care that aims to improve medicine based on genotypic and molecular characteristics that correlate to specific phenotypic, individual characteristics. In summary, the aim of the precision medicine is to define the right treatment for the right person at the right time. The availability of a second-line disease-modifying drug and new molecules in phase 2 or 3 trials makes this an exciting time for the precision medicine initiative in primary biliary cholangitis. In this review we describe the current risk stratification tools and we track a possible path towards the application of precision medicine in clinical daily life.

Genome-wide Association Studies of Specific Antinuclear Autoantibody Subphenotypes in Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Anti-nuclear antibodies to speckled 100 kDa (sp100) and glycoprotein 210 (gp210) are specific serologic markers of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) of uncertain/controversial clinical or prognostic significance. To study the genetic determinants associated with sp100 and gp210 autoantibody subphenotypes, we performed a genome-wide association analysis of 930 PBC cases based on their autoantibody status, followed by a replication study in 1,252 PBC cases. We confirmed single-nucleotide polymorphisms rs492899 (P = 3.27 × 10-22 ; odds ratio [OR], 2.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.34-3.66) and rs1794280 (P = 5.78 × 10-28 ; OR, 3.89; 95% CI, 3.05-4.96) in the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region associated with the sp100 autoantibody. However, no genetic variant was identified as being associated with the gp210 autoantibody. To further define specific classical human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles or amino acids associated with the sp100 autoantibody, we imputed 922 PBC cases (211 anti-sp100-positive versus 711 negative cases) using a Han Chinese MHC reference database. Conditional analysis identified that HLA-DRβ1-Asn77/Arg74, DRβ1-Ser37, and DPβ1-Lys65 were major determinants for sp100 production. For the classical HLA alleles, the strongest association was with DRB1*03:01 (P = 1.51 × 10-9 ; OR, 2.97; 95% CI, 2.06-4.29). Regression analysis with classical HLA alleles identified DRB1*03:01, DRB1*15:01, DRB1*01, and DPB1*03:01 alleles can explain most of the HLA association with sp100 autoantibody. Conclusion: This study indicated significant genetic predisposition to the sp100 autoantibody, but not the gp210 autoantibody, subphenotype in PBC patients. Additional studies will be necessary to determine if these findings have clinical significance to PBC pathogenesis and/or therapeutics.

Validation of Risk Scoring Systems in Ursodeoxycholic Acid-Treated Patients With Primary Biliary Cholangitis

INTRODUCTION

Risk stratification based on biochemical variables is a useful tool for monitoring ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)-treated patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Several UDCA response criteria and scoring systems have been proposed for risk prediction in PBC, but these have not been validated in large external cohorts.

METHODS

We performed a study on data of 1746 UDCA-treated patients with PBC from 25 centers in Europe, United States, and Canada. The prognostic performance of the risk scoring systems (GLOBE and UK-PBC) and the UDCA response criteria (Barcelona, Paris I, Paris II, Rotterdam, and Toronto) were evaluated. We regarded cirrhosis-related complications (ascites, variceal bleeding, and/or hepatic encephalopathy) as clinical end points.

RESULTS

A total of 171 patients reached a clinical end point during a median 7 years (range 1-16 years) of follow-up. The 5-, 10- and 15-year adverse outcome-free survivals were 95%, 85%, and 77%. The GLOBE and UK-PBC scores predicted cirrhosis-related complications better than the UDCA response criteria. The hazard ratio (HR) for a 1 standard deviation increase was HR 5.05 (95% confidence interval (CI): 4.43-5.74, P < 0.001) for the GLOBE score and HR 3.39 (95% CI: 3.10-3.72, P < 0.001) for the UK-PBC score. Overall, the GLOBE and UK-PBC risk scores showed similar and excellent prognostic performance (C-statistic, 0.93; 95% CI: 0.91%-95% vs 0.94; 95% CI: 0.91%-0.96%).

DISCUSSION

In our international, multicenter PBC cohort, the GLOBE and UK-PBC risk scoring systems were good predictors of future cirrhosis-related complications.

Prognostic Value of Biochemical Response Models for Primary Biliary Cholangitis and the Additional Role of the Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio

Background/Aims

Recently reported prognostic models for primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) have been shown to be effective in Western populations but have not been well-validated in Asian patients. This study aimed to compare the performance of prognostic models in Korean patients and to investigate whether inflammation-based scores can further help in prognosis prediction.

Methods

This study included 271 consecutive patients diagnosed with PBC in Korea. The following prognostic models were evaluated: the Barcelona model, the Paris-I/II model, the Rotterdam criteria, the GLOBE score and the UK-PBC score. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was analyzed with reference to its association with prognosis.

Results

For predicting liver transplant or death at the 5-year and 10-year follow-up examinations, the UK-PBC score (areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUCs], 0.88 and 0.82) and GLOBE score (AUCs, 0.85 and 0.83) were significantly more accurate in predicting prognosis than the other scoring systems (all p＜0.05). There was no significant difference between the performance of the UK-PBC and GLOBE scores. In addition to the prognostic models, a high NLR (＞2.46) at baseline was an independent predictor of reduced transplant-free survival in the multivariate analysis (adjusted hazard ratio, 3.74; p＜0.01). When the NLR was applied to the prognostic models, it significantly differentiated the prognosis of patients.

Conclusions

The UK-PBC and GLOBE scores showed good prognostic performance in Korean patients with PBC. In addition, a high NLR was associated with a poorer prognosis. Including the NLR in prognostic models may further help to stratify patients with PBC.

Efficacy and safety of fenofibrate add-on therapy for patients with primary biliary cholangitis and a suboptimal response to UDCA

BACKGROUND

primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) patients with a suboptimal response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) have a significantly worse survival rate. Fenofibrate has been shown to improve the short-term biochemical response in this group of patients. However, there is limited data available on the safety and efficacy of its long-term use, especially in patients with cirrhosis. Methods：in this retrospective cohort study, fenofibrate was given to PBC patients with a suboptimal response to at least 12 months of UDCA (13-15 mg/kg/d) therapy. Biochemistry data, GLOBE score and UK-PBC risk score at baseline and at different time points of treatment were compared. The safety profiles were also compared between cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patient groups. Results：fenofibrate (200 mg/day) was given to 39 PBC patients with a suboptimal response to UDCA (15 cirrhotic and 24 non-cirrhotic patients). In the 26 patients who completed more than one year of combination therapy, the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were 215 (185, 326) U/l, 122 (110, 202) U/l, 128 (106, 194) U/l, 124 (100, 181) U/l and 120 (82, 168) U/l, at baseline, three months, six months, 12 months and 24 months, respectively. All p values were < 0.01 when compared to baseline values. After two years of combination therapy, the UK-PBC risk score and GLOBE score did not significantly improve. The overall rates of adverse events were not significantly different between the cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic group. The elevation of liver enzymes was the most frequent side effect (n = 7), leading to a discontinuation in four patients. Furthermore, after two years of combination therapy, the serum creatinine levels and estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFR) were significantly worse in both groups.

CONCLUSION

fenofibrate add-on therapy could improve ALP and γ-GT levels in both non-cirrhotic and cirrhotic PBC patients with a suboptimal response to UDCA. However, patients need to be monitored carefully for a potential liver injury and nephrotoxicity.

Prognostic models in primary biliary cholangitis

Risk prediction modelling is important to better understand the determinants of the course and outcome of PBC and to inform the risk across the disease continuum in PBC enabling risk-stratified follow-up care and personalised therapy. Current prognostic models in PBC are based on treatment response to ursodeoxycholic acid because of the well-established relationship between alkaline phosphatase on treatment and long-term outcome. In addition, serum alkaline phosphatase correlates with ductular reaction and biliary metaplasia, which are hallmark of biliary injury. Considering the waiting time for treatment failure in high-risk patients is not inconsequential, efforts are focused on bringing forward risk stratification at diagnosis by predicting treatment response at onset. There is a need for better prognostic variables that are central to the disease process. We should take an integrative approach that incorporates multiple layers of information including genetic and environmental influences, host characteristics, clinical data, and molecular alterations for risk assessments. Biomarker discovery has an accelerated pace taking advantage of the emergence of large-scale omics platforms (genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and others) and whole-genome sequencing. In the digital era, applications of artificial intelligence, such as machine learning, can support the computing power required to analyse the vast amount of data produced by omics. The information is then used for the development of personalised risk prediction models that through clinical trials and hopefully industry partnerships can guide risk management strategies. We are facing an unprecedented opportunity for the integration of molecular diagnostics into the clinic, which promotes progress toward the personalised management of patients with PBC.

Individualizing Care: Management Beyond Medical Therapy

The evolving research landscape, with advances in the omics technologies, availability of large-scale patient cohorts, and forthcoming availability of novel drugs in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), is creating a unique opportunity for developing a precision medicine (PM) program. PM has potential to change the paradigm of management. Diagnostic work-up of PBC patients may include information on genetic variants and molecular signature to define a particular subtype of disease and provide an estimate of treatment response and survival. To reach this point, specific interventions, such as sequencing more genomes, creating bigger biobanks, and linking biological information to health data, are needed.

Natural History of Primary Biliary Cholangitis in the Ursodeoxycholic Acid Era: Role of Scoring Systems

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic disease that progresses to end-stage liver disease. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), the standard treatment for PBC for several decades, is associated with improved survival without liver transplantation. Approximately 40% of patients do not respond to UDCA. Because of disease variability, several prognostic models exist that incorporate various factors including biochemical response to UDCA. Useful for patient care and counseling as well as risk stratification for research and clinical trials, the role of these models in the pre-UDCA and UDCA eras is discussed.

Risk stratification and prognostic modelling in primary biliary cholangitis

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a slowly progressive chronic cholestatic liver disease that, in a subgroup of patients, may result in liver failure or death. The definition of specific risk profiles, i.e. risk stratification, is of critical importance for the identification of these subgroups and thereby the targeting of care. Over the last few years large multicentre cohort studies have improved our knowledge regarding factors associated with progressive disease. Stratification based on biochemical response to ursodoxycholic acid provides a readily available measure to identify groups that might benefit from additional therapies to further improve prognosis. In addition, serum total bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase are now considered the most robustly validated biomarkers of long-term outcome in PBC and are used as endpoints in clinical trials. The GLOBE score and UK-PBC risk score enable us to quantify the risk of future events for the individual patient, allowing more individualized risk prediction. In this review, we discuss both established prognostic factors and newly developed tools to estimate prognosis in PBC, highlighting their strengths, limitations and applicability in clinical practice.

Patterns of disease progression and incidence of complications in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC)

Clinical outcome for patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is dictated by development of cirrhosis, portal hypertension and its associated complications; including for some, a predisposition toward hepatocellular carcinoma. However rates of clinical progression vary, and accurately identifying disease course is of critical importance to patients, clinicians, as well as industry, who are committed to developing new effective and life-prolonging therapy as well as treating symptoms that appear disproportionate to underlying disease severity. Patients seek reassurance and guidance as to their own prognosis, and clinicians wish to confidently recognise those at highest risk of poor outcomes as equally as they strive to reassure individuals with a more favourable disease trajectory. International registries have facilitated a much greater knowledge of disease incidence and heterogeneity of presenting phenotypes. In so doing they highlight the opportunity to provide a more individualized estimate of the clinical course that patients experience, and have led to a renewed approach to risk stratification; both in terms of 'hard outcomes' and also disease-associated complications in PBC specifically.

NELFCD and CTSZ loci are associated with jaundice-stage progression in primary biliary cholangitis in the Japanese population

Approximately 10–20% of patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) progress to jaundice stage regardless of treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid and bezafibrate. In this study, we performed a GWAS and a replication study to identify genetic variants associated with jaundice-stage progression in PBC using a total of 1,375 patients (1,202 early-stage and 173 jaundice-stage) in a Japanese population. SNP rs13720, which is located in the 3′UTR of cathepsin Z (CTSZ), showed the strongest association (odds ratio [OR] = 2.15, P = 7.62 × 10⁻⁷) with progression to jaundice stage in GWAS. High-density association mapping at the CTSZ and negative elongation factor complex member C/D (NELFCD) loci, which are located within a strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) block, revealed that an intronic SNP of CTSZ, rs163800, was significantly associated with jaundice-stage progression (OR = 2.16, P = 8.57 × 10⁻⁸). In addition, eQTL analysis and in silico functional analysis indicated that genotypes of rs163800 or variants in strong LD with rs163800 influence expression levels of both NELFCD and CTSZ mRNA. The present novel findings will contribute to dissect the mechanism of PBC progression and also to facilitate the development of therapies for PBC patients who are resistant to current therapies.

Clinical application of the GLOBE and United Kingdom-primary biliary cholangitis risk scores in a trial cohort of patients with primary biliary cholangitis

The GLOBAL Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) Study Group and United Kingdom‐PBC (UK‐PBC) Consortium have demonstrated that dichotomous response criteria are not as accurate as continuous equations at predicting mortality or liver transplantation in PBC. The aim of this analysis was to assess the clinical utility of the GLOBE and UK‐PBC risk scores using data from POISE, a phase 3 trial investigating obeticholic acid (OCA) in patients with PBC. Data (N = 216) at baseline and month 12 were used to calculate the GLOBE and UK‐PBC risk scores to assess the projected change in risk with OCA versus placebo. Additionally, the benefit of OCA was assessed in patients not meeting the POISE primary endpoint. Both the GLOBE and UK‐PBC risk scores predicted a significant reduction in long‐term risk of death and liver transplantation after OCA treatment (P < 0.0001). The differences in the relative risk reduction from baseline in the 10‐year event risk after 1 year for OCA 10 mg versus placebo was 26% (GLOBE) and 37% (UK‐PBC). The scores also predicted a significantly decreased risk in patients treated with OCA who did not meet POISE response criteria after 1 year of treatment compared to an increased risk with placebo (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: This analysis demonstrates the use of the GLOBE and UK‐PBC risk scores to assess risk reduction of a cohort treated with OCA. While validation of this risk reduction in studies with clinical outcomes is needed, this study highlights the potential use of these scores in individualizing risk prediction in PBC both in clinical practice and therapeutic trials. (Hepatology Communications 2018;2:683‐692)

Autoantibodies in Autoimmune Liver Disease-Clinical and Diagnostic Relevance

Testing for liver-related autoantibodies should be included in the workup of patients with hepatitis or cholestasis of unknown origin. Although most of these autoantibodies are not disease specific, their determination is a prerequisite to diagnose autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), and they are components of the diagnostic scoring system in these diseases. In primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), on the other hand, autoantibodies are frequently present but play a minor role in establishing the diagnosis. In PSC, however, data on antibodies suggest a link between disease pathogenesis and the intestinal microbiota. This review will focus on practical aspects of antibody testing in the three major autoimmune liver diseases AIH, PBC, and PSC.

Prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma development by aminotransferase to platelet ratio index in primary biliary cholangitis

AIM

To investigate the usefulness of aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI) in predicting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).

METHODS

We identified PBC patients between 2000 and 2015 by searching the electronic medical database of a tertiary center. The hazard ratio (HR) of HCC with different risk factors was determined by Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

One hundred and forty-four PBC patients were recruited. Patients were diagnosed at a median age of 57.8 years [interquartile range (IQR): 48.7-71.5 years), and 41 (28.5%) patients had cirrhosis at baseline. The median follow-up duration was 6.9 years (range: 1.0-26.3 years). Twelve patients developed HCC, with an incidence rate of 10.6 cases per 1000 patient-years. The overall 5-, 10- and 15-year cumulative incidences of HCC were 2.3% 95%CI: 0%-4.8%), 8.4% (95%CI: 1.8%-14.5%) and 21.6% (6.8%-34.1%), respectively. Older age (HR = 1.07), cirrhosis (HR = 4.38) and APRI at 1 year after treatment (APRI-r1) > 0.54 (HR = 3.94) were independent factors for HCC development. APRI-r1, when combined with treatment response, further stratified HCC risk (log rank P < 0.05). The area under receiver operating curve of APRI-r1 in predicting HCC was 0.77 (95%CI: 0.64-0.88).

CONCLUSION

APRI-r1 can be used to predict the development of HCC in PBC patients. Combination of APRI-r1 with treatment response can further stratify the HCC risk.