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Overi D, Carpino G, Cristoferi L, Onori P, Kennedy L, Francis H, Zucchini N, Rigamonti C, Viganò M, Floreani A, D’Amato D, Gerussi A, Venere R, Alpini G, Glaser S, Alvaro D, Invernizzi P, Gaudio E, Cardinale V, Carbone M. Role of ductular reaction and ductular-canalicular junctions in identifying severe primary biliary cholangitis. JHEP Rep 2022; 4:100556. [PMID: 36267871 PMCID: PMC9576897 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhepr.2022.100556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Background & Aims Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic cholangiopathy characterised by immuno-mediated injury of interlobular bile ducts leading to intrahepatic cholestasis and progressive liver fibrosis. PBC histology is characterised by portal inflammation, progressive fibrosis, ductopenia, and the appearance of the so-called ductular reaction. The aim of the present study was to investigate the pathogenetic relevance of ductular reaction in PBC. Methods Liver biopsies were collected from naïve people with PBC (N = 87). Clinical-serological parameters were obtained at diagnosis and after 1 year of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) treatment. Histological staging was performed on all slides according to multiple scoring systems and criteria for PBC. Liver samples were obtained from Mdr2 -/- mice treated with or without UDCA. Samples were processed for histology, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence. Results Ductular reaction in people with PBC correlated with the disease stage and liver fibrosis, but not with disease activity; an extensive ductular reaction correlated with serum alkaline phosphatase levels at diagnosis, response to UDCA, and individuals' estimated survival, independently from other histological parameters, including disease stage. In people with PBC, reactive ductules were associated with the establishment of junctions with bile canaliculi and with fibrogenetic cell activation. Consistently, in a mouse model of intrahepatic cholestasis, UDCA treatment was effective in reducing ductular reaction and fibrosis and increasing ductular-canalicular junctions. Conclusions Extensive ductular reaction outlines a severe histologic phenotype in PBC and is associated with an inadequate therapy response and a worse estimated prognosis. Lay summary In people affected by primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), the histological appearance of extensive ductular reaction identifies individuals at risk of progressive fibrosis. Ductular reaction at diagnosis correlates with the lack of response to first-line therapy with ursodeoxycholic acid and serves to restore ductular-canalicular junctions in people with PBC. Assessing ductular reaction extension at diagnosis may add valuable information for clinicians.
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Key Words
- AE2, anion exchanger 2
- ALP, alkaline phosphatase
- ALPt0, ALP at diagnosis
- ALPt12, ALP at 12 months after UDCA therapy
- ALT, alanine aminotransferase
- ALTt0, ALT at diagnosis
- AMA, antimitochondrial antibody
- ANA, antinuclear antibody
- AST, aspartate aminotransferase
- ASTt0, AST at diagnosis
- BAC, bile acid control
- BIL, bilirubin
- BILt0, BIL at diagnosis
- CA, cholangitis activity
- CK19, cytokeratin 19
- CK7, cytokeratin 7
- Cholangiopathy
- Cholestasis
- DCJ, ductular–canalicular junction
- DCJ/d, DCJ per ductule
- DCJ/pt, DCJ per portal tract
- DR, ductular reaction
- EpCAM, epithelial cell adhesion molecule
- GGT, gamma-glutamyl transferase
- HA, hepatitis activity
- HSC, hepatic stellate cell
- Histology
- IH, intermediate hepatocyte
- Liver biopsy
- MF, myofibroblast
- Muc-1, mucin 1
- PBC, primary biliary cholangitis
- PCNA, proliferating cell nuclear antigen
- RT-qPCR, real-time quantitative PCR
- Regeneration
- SCTR, secretin receptor
- SQ, semiquantitative
- UDCA, ursodeoxycholic acid
- ULN, upper limit of normal
- URS, UDCA response score
- Ursodeoxycholic acid
- WT, wild type
- αSMA, α-smooth muscle actin
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Affiliation(s)
- Diletta Overi
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Guido Carpino
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, Division of Health Sciences, University of Rome ‘Foro Italico’, Rome, Italy,Corresponding author. Address: Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, Division of Health Sciences, University of Rome ‘Foro Italico’, Rome, Italy. Piazza Lauro De Bosis 6, 00135-Rome, Italy. Tel./Fax: +39-06-36733-202..
| | - Laura Cristoferi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy,European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Paolo Onori
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Lindsey Kennedy
- Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA,Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Heather Francis
- Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA,Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Nicola Zucchini
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy,European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Cristina Rigamonti
- Department of Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale ‘A. Avogadro’, Novara, Italy
| | - Mauro Viganò
- Division of Hepatology, Ospedale San Giuseppe, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Annarosa Floreani
- Studiosa Senior, University of Padua, Padua, Italy,Scientific Consultant, IRCCS Negrar, Verona, Italy
| | - Daphne D’Amato
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Alessio Gerussi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy,European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Rosanna Venere
- Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Alpini
- Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA,Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Shannon Glaser
- Department of Medical Physiology, Texas A&M University College of Medicine, Bryan, TX, USA
| | - Domenico Alvaro
- Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro Invernizzi
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy,European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
| | - Eugenio Gaudio
- Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Cardinale
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Latina, Italy
| | - Marco Carbone
- Division of Gastroenterology, Center for Autoimmune Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy,European Reference Network on Hepatological Diseases (ERN RARE-LIVER), San Gerardo Hospital, Monza, Italy
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