A study presented at the AASLD Liver Meeting found that histological stage is associated with a risk of complications such as pruritus, esophageal varices, ascites, and jaundice in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).
The study included 226 patients with confirmed PBC. Asymptomatic patients were required to receive ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) continuously for at least 1 year after the diagnosis. Researchers assessed the relationship between the development of complications with histological stage and biochemical response to UDCA.
Cumulative complication rates were significantly higher in patients with more advanced pathological staging, suggesting an increase in complications with the progression of histological staging, regardless of biochemical response to UDCA.
Using multivariate Cox regression analysis, the researchers determined that the advanced Nakanuma classification stage was an independent factor associated with the development of complications in patients with PBC.
Though the researchers indicated that both histological stage and biochemical response to UDCA “play a pivotal role in the development of complications of PBC,” histological response was associated with a higher risk of complications in this patient population.
Reference Namisaki T, Fujinaga Y, Sato S, et al. Histological stage as predictor of the complications of primary biliary cholangitis. Abstract 4266. Presented at the 2024 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases’ 75th Liver Meeting; November 15–19, 2024; San Diego.
