Extrahepatic conditions associated with primary biliary cirrhosis

Glomerulonephritis in primary biliary cholangitis in China: an important complication

BACKGROUND

Extrahepatic manifestations in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) are frequently observed recently. We aimed in this study to explore the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of glomerulonephritis in patients with PBC.

METHODS

Consecutive PBC patients admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2002 to May 2019 were retrospectively enrolled. PBC patients with other autoimmune diseases which may have nephritis were excluded. Structured interview, systemic rheumatologic examination, and laboratory tests were conducted for each patient. Literature about patients with PBC and glomerulonephritis was reviewed and summarized.

RESULTS

Among the 330 PBC patients enrolled, glomerulonephritis were identified in 10 patients (3.0%). Eight (80.0%) were females and 2 (20.0%) were males. The mean age was 58.4 ± 9.5 years old. Membranous nephropathy (MN) was revealed in 4 patients, IgA nephropathy (IgA N) in 2 patients, minimal change disease (MCD) in 2 patients, mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis in 1 patient, and renal amyloidosis in 1 patient. Compared to the literature reviewed, 10 cases of MN, 1 case of MCD, 1 case of IgA N, and 1 case of acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN) were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Glomerulonephritis may not be a well-recognized feature of PBC and is not a rare complication and deserved to be routinely screened in clinical practice. As MN is the most common form of glomerulonephritis in PBC patients and PBC can be asymptomatic at an early stage, patients presented with MN should be screened for PBC, so to avoid cirrhosis. Key Points • Patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) can be complicated with glomerulonephritis, and membranous nephropathy (MN) is the most common form.

Cardiac involvement in patients with primary biliary cholangitis: A 14-year longitudinal survey-based study

Patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) can have extrahepatic manifestations. However, data about cardiac involvement of PBC is limited. We aimed in this study to analyze the clinical characteristics in patients with PBC complicated with and without cardiac involvement, and the risk factors of cardiac involvement in PBC. PBC patients admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 2002 and February 2016 were consecutively enrolled. Structured interview, systemic rheumatologic examination, and laboratory tests were conducted for each patient, and risk factors of cardiac involvement were analyzed by comparing patients with and without cardiac involvement. In total, 580 PBC patients were enrolled, and cardiac involvement was identified in 24 patients (4%), with 11 male (46%) and a mean age of 57±8 year. Cardiomyopathy and arrhythmias were presented in 17 (70.8%) and 21 (87.5%) patients, respectively. Patients with cardiac involvement were more frequently male (46% vs. 11%, P<0.01), complicated with inflammatory myopathy (IM) (58% vs. 1%, P<0.01), and had a longer disease course (median, 72 vs 24 month, P<0.01). Furthermore, concomitant IM was the independent risk factor of cardiac involvement in PBC (OR = 77.333, 95% CI: 23.704–252.294). Cardiac involvement was a rare complication of PBC, which was more frequently observed in male or long-course patients. Importantly, concomitant IM was the strong independent risk factor of cardiac involvement in PBC. Given cardiac involvement is a serious complication, thorough evaluation of cardiac manifestation in high-risk PBC patients is highly recommended.