The increasing burden of primary biliary cholangitis-related cirrhosis in Mexico: Evidence from a contemporary...

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic autoimmune cholestatic liver disease characterized by the progressive destruction of the intrahepatic bile ducts that leads to cholestasis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. In recent decades, its prevalence and incidence have increased worldwide, but there are limited data on its behavior in Latin America. The present study aimed to provide up-to-date information on the prevalence of CBP-related cirrhosis in a contemporary cohort and compare current trends with those of previous cohorts.

A retrospective multicenter study was conducted that included 2,182 patients diagnosed with cirrhosis from 13 Mexican referral hospitals, within the time frame of 2018 and 2024. Demographic, etiologic, and clinical data were collected. The prevalence of cirrhosis secondary to PBC was compared with national cohorts from 2004 and 2018. Differences were evaluated using the two-tailed z-test for proportions, with statistical significance set at a P < .05.

The PBC was established as a growing cause of cirrhosis, primarily affecting women above 60 years of age. Cases increased significantly from 5.7% in 2004 to 8.5% in 2024 (P < .001), with a higher concentration in central Mexico.

Our findings confirmed a sustained increase in PBC-related cirrhosis in Mexico over the past two decades. This increase underscores the need to improve early diagnosis, strengthen epidemiologic surveillance, and adapt regional therapeutic strategies for optimizing clinical results.