The ursodeoxycholic acid response score predicts pathological features in primary biliary cholangitis

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Gastroenterology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic liver disease.
• Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a primary treatment for PBC.
• Predicting treatment response is crucial for managing PBC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the ursodeoxycholic acid response score (URS) for predicting biochemical response to UDCA in PBC.
• To investigate the association between the URS and histopathological features before and after UDCA treatment.

Main Methods:

• 126 patients with PBC were analyzed for the association between URS-based probability of response (POR) and clinicopathological features.
• 30 patients underwent examination for the association between POR and pathological changes.

Main Results:

• The URS showed good predictive value for biochemical response (AUROC = 0.861).
• URS correlated significantly with Nakanuma staging and CK7 grading of liver histology.
• The score predicted histological stage progression after UDCA treatment.

Conclusions:

• The URS effectively predicts biochemical response to UDCA in PBC patients.
• The URS also reflects pre-treatment liver histology (Nakanuma system and CK7 grading).
• This scoring system helps identify inadequate histological response to UDCA therapy.