Pulmonary Manifestations among Patients with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Liver abnormalities in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a cardiopulmonary disease with high mortality. In recent years, it has been recognized that PAH is a multi-organ system disease, involving the systemic circulation, kidneys, skeletal muscles, and the central nervous system, among others. Right heart failure produces congestive hepatopathy, a disease state that has direct consequences on liver biochemistry, histology, and systemic glucose and lipid metabolism. This article aims to summarize the consequences of congestive hepatopathy with an emphasis on liver biochemistry, histology, and PAH-targeted therapy. Furthermore, PAH-specific changes in glucose and lipid metabolism will be discussed.

Sarcoidosis and primary biliary cholangitis in a patient with cholestasis

Primary biliary cholangitis and sarcoidosis are both cholestatic liver diseases. Currently, there are no established specific criteria for distinguishing the diseases from each other; diagnosis is based on the anamnesis, as well as the results of physical, laboratory and instrumental examination. The case report presents a female patient with a rare combination of histologically verified liver sarcoidosis and primary biliary cholangitis. Despite the similar clinical manifestations, the approaches to the treatment of these diseases are completely different, that underlines the importance of the differential diagnosis to exclude combined liver damage.

Clinical characteristics and prognosis of concomitant systemic lupus erythematosus and primary biliary cholangitis

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify the clinical characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus-primary biliary cholangitis (SLE-PBC) patients and to compare the manifestations and prognosis with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.

METHODS

Twenty-one inpatients with concomitant SLE and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) were identified in our hospital. Baseline clinical manifestations, laboratory results, disease activity, and organ damage, as well as changes in disease manifestations and therapies, were retrospectively analyzed. Baseline clinical characteristics, survival rate, and flare-ups were compared with 254 SLE patients also from our hospital.

RESULTS

The prevalence of concomitant PBC in SLE inpatients was 0.27%. Over half of the patients were diagnosed with SLE and PBC simultaneously. Compared with SLE patients, SLE-PBC patients started the symptom of SLE at an older age, with a longer delay before the diagnosis of SLE (P < 0.05). Hematological and muscular involvement, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and interstitial lung disease were more common in SLE-PBC patients (P < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier estimate showed a significantly lower survival rate in SLE-PBC group, with 3-year survival rate at 88.4%.

CONCLUSION

Concomitant PBC might have a negative impact on the survival of SLE, with older age at SLE onset, longer delay before SLE diagnosis, and higher baseline damage. More intensive therapy and prevention of hepatic toxicity need to be considered. Key Points • Hematological and muscular involvement, PAH, and ILD were more common in SLE PBC than in SLE. • The study firstly reported the survival rate of SLE PBC patients. • More intensive therapy and prevention of hepatic toxicity are needed for SLE-PBC.

Relapsing Tubulointerstitial Nephritis with Antimitochondrial M2 Antibody Accompanied by Pulmonary Involvement

We herein report a 50-year-old woman who suffered from tubulointerstitial nephritis with antimitochondrial M2 antibody, distal renal tubular acidosis, and Fanconi syndrome. Our case also had interstitial pneumonia. After initially successful glucocorticoid therapy, tubulointerstitial nephritis and interstitial pneumonia relapsed. After the second successful round of glucocorticoid therapy, tubulointerstitial nephritis relapsed again and responded to glucocorticoid and azathioprine. This case might indicate (1) the association between pulmonary involvement and tubulointerstitial nephritis with antimitochondrial antibodies and (2) the need for a maintenance dose of glucocorticoid and immunosuppressants in tubulointerstitial nephritis with antimitochondrial antibodies.

Pneumocystis jirovecii-related spontaneous pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema in a liver transplant recipient: a case report

BACKGROUND

Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) is a common opportunistic infection caused by Pneumocystis jirovecii. Its incidence at 2 years or more after liver transplant (LT) is < 0.1%. PCP-related spontaneous pneumothorax and/or pneumomediastinum is rare in patients without the human immunodeficiency virus, with an incidence of 0.4-4%.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 65-year-old woman who had split-graft deceased-donor LT for primary biliary cirrhosis developed fever, dyspnea and dry coughing at 25 months after transplant. Her immunosuppressants included tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, and prednisolone. PCP infection was confirmed by molecular detection of Pneumocystis jirovecii,in bronchoalveolar lavage. On day-10 trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, her chest X-ray showed subcutaneous emphysema bilaterally, right pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum. Computed tomography of the thorax confirmed the presence of right pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema. She was managed with 7-day right-sided chest drain and a 21-day course of trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole before discharge.

CONCLUSION

Longer period of PCP prophylaxis should be considered in patients who have a higher risk compared to general LT patients. High index of clinical suspicion, prompt diagnosis and treatment with ongoing patient reassessment to detect and exclude rare, potentially fatal but treatable complications are essential, especially when clinical deterioration has developed.

Variety of lung involvement in autoimmune liver diseases

The primary autoimmune liver diseases conventionally include primary biliary cholangitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis and autoimmune hepatitis. Despite of primary autoimmune affection of different parts of the hepatobiliary system, in the recent decades, a lot of data has emerged indicating the presence of extrahepatic manifestations of these diseases, in particular, lung lesions, such as nodular and interstitial changes with possible progression and development of fibrosis and respiratory failure. In case of lungs disease, both pulmonary parenchyma and lung vessels, pleura, and intrathoracic lymph nodes can be involved. The most sensitive and specific procedure to assess the extent of the lung lesions and their evolution is high-resolution computed tomography. Due to the possibility of long-term asymptomatic course of the pulmonary disease with development of irreversible changes in patients with autoimmune liver diseases, it seems reasonable to conduct screening studies aimed at early detection and treatment of lung lesions in this population.