Pathology of septum formation in primary biliary cirrhosis: a histological study in the non-cirrhotic stage

Primary biliary cirrhosis and other ductopenic diseases

Several distinct conditions are characterized by a reduction in the number of small and medium-sized intrahepatic bile ducts. These diseases are associated with progressive cholestasis, which in turn leads to biliary fibrosis and ultimately cirrhosis. The best-characterized ductopenic condition in adulthood is primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) for which there is now strong evidence of an autoimmune cause. The antigenic targets are epitopes on proteins of the 2-oxoacid dehydrogenase complex within mitochondria. Some of these proteins appear to be aberrantly expressed at the surface of cholangiocytes in PBC. The basis for the breakdown in tolerance remains uncertain, although there is recent evidence to indicate that apoptosis may play a key role at early stages in the pathogenesis of the disease. Related conditions include autoimmune overlap syndromes and AMA-negative PBC (autoimmune cholangitis). Primary sclerosing cholangitis is clinically and histologically distinct, although there is evidence that it also may have an immune-mediated cause. Ductopenia may also arise on the basis of drug-induced injury; the best example of this is progressive cholestasis complicating chlorpromazine therapy.

Primary biliary cirrhosis: incidence and predictive factors of cirrhosis development in ursodiol-treated patients

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) slows the progression of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). However, some UDCA-treated patients escape and progress toward cirrhosis and end-stage disease. This study aimed to assess the incidence of cirrhosis in UDCA-treated patients with PBC and to determine the predictive factors of cirrhosis development under this treatment.

METHODS

A Markov model was used to describe the progression toward cirrhosis in 183 UDCA-treated patients with PBC. A total of 254 pairs of liver biopsy specimens collected during 655 patient-years were studied.

RESULTS

The incidence of cirrhosis after 5 years of UDCA treatment was 4%, 12%, and 59% among patients followed-up from stages I, II, and III, respectively. At 10 years, the incidence was 17%, 27%, and 76%, respectively. The median time for developing cirrhosis from stages I, II, and III was 25 years, 20 years, and 4 years, respectively. The independent predictive factors of cirrhosis development were serum bilirubin greater than 17 mumol/L, serum albumin less than 38 g/L, and moderate to severe lymphocytic piecemeal necrosis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides new data about the time course of PBC under UDCA and constitutes a rationale for the design and evaluation of clinical trials aimed to assess the efficacy of drugs associated with UDCA.

Ludwig Symposium on biliary disorders--part II. Pathologic features and evolution of primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) share many clinical and pathologic features. Central to the symptoms and biochemical alterations of both conditions is a substantial loss of intrahepatic bile ducts, leading to interference with bile flow. This pathologic change may ultimately result in cirrhosis of the biliary type. In addition, however, biopsy specimens usually show an element of liver-cell destruction and associated inflammation, mainly interface hepatitis. This finding is more pronounced in PBC than in PSC but can lead in both diseases to features that resemble those of cirrhosis as a result of hepatitis virus infection. The resemblance often leads to diagnostic confusion, which is easily overcome by attention to the clinical, radiologic, serologic, and biochemical context. Histologic staging of PBC and PSC has led to a greater appreciation of their evolution but is hampered in biopsy material by sampling error. Examination of explanted livers at transplantation has demonstrated a wide variation in the maturation of lesions in various parts of the organ.