Selective Inhibitors of Toll-Like Receptor 9 (TLR9) Could Potentially Treat Fibrotic, Autoimmune, and Inflammatory Diseases.

Targeting Farnesoid X Receptor in Hepatic and Biliary Inflammatory Diseases

First-Degree Living-Related Donor Liver Transplantation in Autoimmune Liver Diseases.

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is frequently associated with autoimmune diseases, including thyroid disease, although it is uncertain that this association is higher than in other liver diseases. We compared the prevalence and incidence of thyroid dysfunction (TD) in a series of patients with PBC (n=67) with patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) (n=79) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (n=97) seen in a tertiary referral centre who had previously participated in clinical trials. At initial evaluation, prevalence of TD in PBC was 13% compared with 11% in PSC (P=0.71) and 25% in NAFLD (P=0.08). Incidence of TD was 2.9 patients per 100 person-years in PBC compared with 2.1 patients per 100 person-years in PSC (P=0.57) and 1.8 patients per 100 person-years in non-alcoholic liver disease (P=0.45). Older age, female gender, biochemical abnormalities and concurrent autoimmune disorders were not predictive of the development of TD. TD was unexpectedly as common in patients with PBC as in patients with PSC and NAFLD, yet significantly more common than expected in the general population. Further investigation of thyroid disease in PSC and NAFLD is warranted.

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From the Editor’s Desk…

Fatty liver disease (FLD) affects approximately 25% of global adult population. Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a term used to emphasize components of metabolic syndrome in FLD. MAFLD does not exclude coexistence of other liver disease, but impact of coexisting MAFLD is unclear. We investigated prevalence and characteristics of MAFLD in patients with biopsy-proven autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), or toxic liver disease. Liver histopathology and clinical data from Helsinki University Hospital district (1.7 million inhabitants) between 2009 and 2019 were collected from patients with AIH, PBC, PSC, or toxic liver disease at the time of diagnosis. MAFLD was diagnosed as macrovesicular steatosis ≥5% together with obesity, type-2 diabetes, or signs of metabolic dysregulation. Of 648 patients included, steatosis was observed in 15.6% (n = 101), of which 94.1% (n = 95) was due to MAFLD. Prevalence of coexisting MAFLD in the four liver diseases varied between 12.4 and 18.2% (P = 0.483). Fibrosis was more severe in MAFLD among patients with toxic liver disease (P = 0.01). Histopathological characteristics otherwise showed similar distribution among MAFLD and non-FLD controls. Alcohol consumption was higher in MAFLD group among patients with AIH or PBC (P < 0.05 for both). In AIH, smoking was more common in patients with coexisting MAFLD (P = 0.034). Prevalence of coexisting MAFLD in other primary liver diseases is lower than reported in general population. Histopathology of MAFLD patients did not clearly differ from non-FLD ones. Alcohol and smoking were associated with MAFLD in AIH.

While there is higher prevalence of autoimmune, cholestatic and fatty liver disease in celiac disease (CeD), most data is from small-scale studies. We evaluated the prevalence and risk factors of the same using large cohort data. A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted using Explorys, a multi-institutional database. Prevalence and risk factors of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in CeD were assessed. Out of 70 352 325 subjects, 136 735 had CeD (0.19%). The prevalence of AIH (0.32%), PBC (0.15%), PSC (0.004%) and NAFLD (0.7%) were high in CeD. After adjusting for age, gender, Caucasian race and anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody (anti-TTG), CeD subjects had higher odds of AIH [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 7.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 6.32-7.89] and PBC (aOR 4.16, 95% CI 3.46-5.0). Even after adjusting for CeD, anti-TTG positivity concurred with higher odds of AIH (aOR 4.79, 95% CI 3.88-5.92) and PBC (aOR 9.22, 95% CI 7.03-12.1). After adjusting for age, gender, Caucasian race, diabetes mellitus (DM), obesity, hypothyroidism and metabolic syndrome, there was higher prevalence of NAFLD in CeD, with the aOR in the presence of DM type 1 being 2.1 (95% CI 1.96-2.25), and in the presence of DM type 2 being 2.92 (95% CI 2.72-3.14). Subjects with CeD are more likely to have AIH, PBC, PSC and NAFLD. AIH and PBC have higher odds in the presence of anti-TTG. The odds of NAFLD in CeD are high regardless of type of DM.

The challenges in primary sclerosing cholangitis – Aetiopathogenesis, autoimmunity, management and malignancy

Defining Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: Results From an International Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Study Group Consensus Process

Estudio de enfermedad celíaca en pacientes con enfermedad por hígado graso no alcohólico y con hepatopatías autoinmunes

Autoimmune diseases of the liver are chronic inflammatory diseases leading to an etiologically undefined immune-mediated attack aimed at the hepatocyte, small microscopic bile ducts, and the entire biliary system detectable by cholangiography, respectively. From the standpoint of clinical disease three entities can be distinguished: autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). These are not only different regarding their clinical profile but also differ in diagnostic strategy, therapeutic regimen and probability of remission, as well as their association with other immune-mediated diseases and cancer. PBC and PSC are cholestatic diseases. PBC is most often diagnosed in women. The diagnosis is readily reached by the detection of specific antimitochondrial autoantibodies directed against pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH-E2), is associated with an array of rheumatological extrahepatic syndromes and responds unsatisfactorily to immunosuppressive drugs. Ursodeoxycholic acid leads to biochemical and possibly histological benefits. In contrast, PSC affects younger men who suffer from inflammatory bowel disease in 75% of cases. PSC is not characterized by specific serum autoantibodies. The diagnosis is reached by histology and typical findings upon cholangiography. In 10-20% PSC is associated with cholangiocarcinoma and also with colon cancer. PSC also does not respond well to immunosuppression. Therapeutic interventions include mechanical endoscopic manipulation of the bile ducts, treatment of cholangitis and ursodeoxycholic acid. AIH is a classical autoimmune disease with a female predisposition, circulating autoantibodies, elevated immunoglobulins, the association of other extrahepatic autoimmune diseases, and a dramatic response to immunosuppression with normalization of the patient's prognosis upon remission and prevention of cirrhosis. However, the diagnosis is only reached by the exclusion of other liver diseases also characterized by biochemical, histological and clinical features of chronic hepatitis. In this light, the precise diagnosis is essential. In spite of the clear distinctions of the three diseases overlapping syndromes do exist. These can be characterized as the coexistence of serological parameters of PBC and AIH, of cholestasis and hepatitis, of autoantibodies and viral markers, or the consecutive manifestation of PBC and AIH, or AIH and PSC. However, the overlap of genuine autoimmune diseases is rare. This is relevant regarding therapy and must lead to the precise clinical and diagnostic discrimination of serological autoimmunity (autoantibodies) and genuine autoimmune disease (i.e. AIH) for the initiation of efficatious therapeutic measures. AIH, PBC and PSC are well established indications for liver transplantation with good results. Transplantation is required when cirrhosis is progressive despite therapy and is likely to lead to liver failure.

Recently, we reported a high prevalence of immunoglobulin G and/or immunoglobulin M anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) in patients with autoimmune liver diseases, namely, autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), which were independent of the respective isotypes of antibodies against beta2-glycoprotein I (anti-b2GPI). Immunoglobulin A (IgA) aCL and IgA anti-b2GPI are the least studied of the three specific isotypes either in antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) or in other conditions. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence and clinical significance of IgA anti-b2GPI and IgA aCL by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in another set of Caucasian patients with autoimmune liver diseases (59 AIH, 96 PBC, and 37 PSC). The disease controls group consisted of 50 hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients, 50 hepatitis B virus (HBV), 30 alcoholic liver disease (ALD), 30 non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and 110 healthy controls. IgA anti-b2GPI prevalence was higher in AIH (50.8%) compared to PBC (p = 0.005), PSC (p = 0.008), NASH (p = 0.004), ALD (p = 0.01), and HCV (p = 0.002). The titers were also significantly higher in AIH compared to any other group of the study. IgA aCL prevalence was higher in AIH (33.9%) compared to PBC (p = 0.005), PSC (p = 0.014), NASH (p = 0.001), ALD (p = 0.004), and HCV (p < 0.001). IgA anti-b2GPI or IgA aCL were not associated with APS features in patients with liver autoimmunity. Of note, IgA anti-b2GPI and IgA aCL were associated with clinical and biochemical markers of disease severity in AIH and PBC. We demonstrated a high prevalence and high titers of IgA anti-b2GPI in patients with AIH compared to any other liver disease of the study. IgA anti-b2GPI and IgA aCL were associated with the severity and biochemical activity of AIH and PBC, but long-term prospective studies are needed to address whether this new finding is of clinical importance in AIH and PBC patients.

Liver Failure and Liver Disease

Reduced Coffee Consumption Among Individuals With Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis but Not Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Efficacy and safety of obeticholic acid in liver disease—A systematic review and meta-analysis