[Eosinophilia in primary biliary cirrhosis]

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Immunology

Background:

• Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic liver disease characterized by autoimmune destruction of bile ducts.
• Assessing peripheral blood cell counts can provide insights into disease activity and progression.

Observation:

• Serial measurements of peripheral blood eosinophils were conducted in 30 patients with PBC.
• Eosinophil levels were compared with clinical data, specifically total bilirubin levels indicating icteric (jaundice) or non-icteric stages.

Findings:

• Significantly higher eosinophil counts (P < 0.05) were observed in 22 non-icteric patients (total bilirubin < 2.0 mg/dL) compared to 8 icteric patients (total bilirubin > 2.0 mg/dL).
• Eosinophilia (≥6% eosinophils) was present in 23.3% of patients, predominantly in the non-icteric group.
• In two non-icteric patients with eosinophilia, eosinophil counts decreased as total bilirubin levels increased.

Implications:

• Peripheral blood eosinophil levels may serve as a potential biomarker for disease activity in the non-icteric stage of PBC.
• Monitoring eosinophil counts could offer a non-invasive method to assess disease status and progression in early-stage PBC.
• These findings suggest a role for eosinophils in the immunopathogenesis of PBC, particularly before the onset of jaundice.