[Research progress on early-stage primary biliary cholangitis accompanied by portal hypertension]

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a type of autoimmune liver disease characterized by chronic intrahepatic cholestasis. Although portal hypertension is a common complication in patients with cirrhotic PBC, portal hypertension and its related complications can occur in the early stage of the disease, that is, before the cirrhosis onset. Therefore, early identification and long-term management are of great significance to reduce the occurrence of portal hypertension and decompensation events and improve long-term prognosis in patients with PBC. This paper focuses on the epidemiology, pathophysiological mechanism, clinical characteristics, non-invasive diagnosis, and treatment strategies for portal hypertension in early-stage PBC patients.