Transcript Slide 1
Primary Sclerosing
Cholangitis and Primary
Biliary Cirrhosis
Registrar teaching July 2007
Paul Frankish
Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
PBC-introduction
Slowly progressive autoimmune liver disease
90% females
Peak incidence in 40’s
Portal inflammation and autoimmune
destruction of intrahepatic bile ducts
Leads to cirrhosis and liver failure
90-95% have antimitochondrial antibody
Clinical features
~50% asymptomatic at diagnosis
Fatigue and pruritus most commonn
symptoms~20%
Hyperlipidaemia,hypothyroidism,osteo
penia,autoimmune diseases
Portal hypertension ,liver failure,HCC
Physical examination
Often normal
Spiders and skin excoriations
Xanthelasmas
Hepatomegaly ~70%
Jaundice (late)
Diagnosis
3 criteria
Positive AMA
Abnormal LFT
Compatible biopsy
Pathological Stages (4)
1 Destruction of bile ducts in portal
tracts
2 Inflammation beyond portal tracts
3 fibrous septa link portal triads
Cirrhosis
Epidemiology and Genetic
factors
Most prevalent in Nth Europe.10 fold
variation
More common in first degree relatives
Molecular mimicry to certain bacteria
or viruses
Environmental chemical exposure
Autoimmune responses
Targets of antimitichondrial antibodies
4 autoreactive mitochondrial antigens
Pyruvate dehydrogenase E2 complex PDCE2
E-3 binding protein E3-BP
Ketoglutaric acid dehydrogenase E2 complex
OGDC-E2
2 oxo-aciddehydrogenaseE-2 complex
BCKD-E2
T cell response
T cells infiltrating the liver are specific
for PDC-E2
Nature of bile duct injury not fully
elucidated
Treatment:Ursodeoxycholic acid
UDCA
Given in dose 12-15 mg/kg
Reduces bilirubin,ALP,AST,ALT cholesterol and
IgM
Meta-analysis of 3 trials 548 patients UDCA
reduced risk of liver transplantation or death
over 4 years
Delays fibrosis and varices
Does not work in advanced disease
Other drugs
Colchicine
Methotrexate
Budesoide
Liver transplantation
Only effective Rx for liver failure
Survival is excellent 85% at 5 years
CAN RECUR IN GRAFT-30% AT 10
YEARS
Primary Sclerosing
Cholangitis PSC
Definition
A chronic inflammatory cholestatic
disease
Progressive destruction of bile
ducts
May progress to cirrhosis
Aetiology unknown
Epidemiology,Natural
History and Prognosis
Prevalence 6-8/100000
Usually diagnosed in 20s and 30s
Male predominance ~3:1
80% have IBD –usually UC
~44% asymptomatic at diagnosis
Median survival ~ 12 years
IBD and PSC
Mainly associated with UC ~85%-the
rest Crohns or indeterminate colitis
4% UC patients will develop PSC
No correlation between activity of IBD
and PSC
Aetiology and
Pathogenesis
Familial incidence
HLA associationsB8,DR3,DRw52a,DR2,DR4
Polymorphism of TNF gene
Immune factors
frequency autoimmune disorders
T cells in blood and liver
circulating immune complexes
Autoantibodies
95% patients with PSC have at least
one autoantibody
85% +ve ANCA
50% +ve ANA
25% +ve SMA
Pathogenesis
Association between PSC and UC
suggests a pathogenic interaction
?bacteria or toxic substances absorbed
via inflammed mucosa
Bile duct injury suggest ischaemic
injury ?immune complex mediated
Clinical Manifestations
44% asymptomatic but most develop
symptoms over time
Pruritis,jaundice,pain and fatigue are
common symptoms
Later on develop symptoms of
cirrhosis and portal hypertension
Cholangiocarcinoma
Lifetime prevalence of 10-30%
Annual risk 1.5% per year
Difficult to diagnose
Patients also have late risk of HCC
PSC and Bowel cancer
25% PSC develop cancer or dysplasia
cf 5.6% with UC alone
Cancers associated with PSC tend to
be more proximal,are more advanced
at diagnosis and mre likely to be fatal
Need aggressive colonoscopic
surveillance
Diagnosis
Cholangiography-either MRCP or ERCP
Clinical,biochemical and histological
features
ERCP and MRCP
Typical features:multifocal strictures and dilatation
usually affects both intra and
extrahepatic ducts
MRCP image of PSC
ERCP image
MRCP-PSC
ERCP-PSC
Liver biopsy
Useful for staging disease
“Onion skin fibrosis” only in ~10%
biopsies
~5% patients have typical biopsy
features with a normal cholangiogram
PSC-onion skin
appearance
PSC-cirrhosis
Lab tests
LFTs-cholestatic pattern:ALP 3-5x ULN
-AST/ALT slightly elevated only
-raised bilirubin may occur with
advanced disease,dominant
stricture,cholangioca,stones,cholangitis
Management
Many strategies tried but only
transplantation shown to improve
survival
Ursodeoxycholic acid
Causes significant biochemical
improvement
Little symptomatic or clinical benefit
May need high doses
Major role may be to reduce bowel
cancer risk in patients with PSC/UC
Not funded in NZ !
Steroids
No long term data
Serious risk of bone disease
Colchicine, D-Penicillamine, Nicotine of no
benefit
Combination Rx with UDCA Aza and steroids
showed clinical and biochemical
improvement in a small trial
Endoscopic treatment
Direct injection of steroids into biliary
tree ineffective
Balloon dilation or stenting can
improve clinical,biochemical and
cholangiographic appearances
Some reports of survival advantages
and delay to liver transplantation
Liver Transplant
Only treatment to improve overall
survival
Improves quality of life in 80%
patients
10 year survival post OLT ~70%
Aim to transplant before cholangica
Recurrent PSC in ~ 4% of grafts