Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Alexander M. Sy, Raphaella D. Ferreira, Binu V. John
Summary: Several studies have shown that patients with PBC have an increased risk of developing HCC. Risk factors for HCC in PBC include advanced age, male sex, comorbidities, and advanced liver fibrosis. The role of treatment response as a risk factor for HCC development in PBC patients should be further investigated. HCC in PBC has a poor prognosis compared to other chronic liver diseases with HCC, and liver transplantation offers the highest survival rate among available therapies.
CLINICS IN LIVER DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Maryam Ebadi, Stephen Ip, Ellina Lytvyak, Somayyeh Asghari, Elora Rider, Andrew Mason, Aldo J. Montano-Loza
Summary: This study aims to investigate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and its impact on treatment response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), development of cirrhosis, and liver-related events (mortality and liver transplantation).
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Julian Hercun, Mazen Noureddin, Nabil Noureddin, Jason Eccleston, Daniel Woolridge, T. Jake Liang, Michele Tana, David E. Kleiner, Gracia Viana Rodriguez, Christopher Koh, Jay H. Hoofnagle, Theo Heller
Summary: This study evaluated the involvement of bile duct and disease progression in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and found that bile duct injury does not follow the same course as fibrosis, and certain indicators are associated with ductopenia progression.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xi Li, Yan Li, Jintao Xiao, Huiwen Wang, Yan Guo, Xiuru Mao, Pan Shi, Yanliang Hou, Xiaoxun Zhang, Nan Zhao, Minghua Zheng, Yonghong He, Jingjing Ding, Ya Tan, Min Liao, Ling Li, Ying Peng, Xuan Li, Qiong Pan, Qiaoling Xie, Qiao Li, Jianwei Li, Ying Li, Zhe Chen, Yongxiu Huang, David N. Assis, Shi-Ying Cai, James L. Boyer, Xuequan Huang, Can-E Tang, Xiaowei Liu, Shifang Peng, Jin Chai
Summary: The numbers of DUOX2(+)ACE2(+) small cholangiocytes are inversely associated with disease severity in PBC. They may be the target of pIgR-mediated humoral responses. Protecting these cells and targeting anti-pIgR autoantibodies could be valuable strategies for therapeutic interventions in PBC.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Debashis Haldar, Ashnila Janmohamed, Tim Plant, Matthew Davidson, Hannah Norman, Emily Russell, Olivia Serevina, Kenneth Chung, Kashif Qamar, Bridget Gunson, Bettina Hansen, Alex Richter, Palak J. Trivedi, Gideon M. Hirschfield
Summary: In patients with PBC, the presence of anti-gp210 autoantibodies is associated with adverse clinical manifestations, predicts treatment non-response, and independently predicts decreased transplant-free survival.
LIVER INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Thomas W. Warnes, Stephen A. Roberts, Alexander Smith, Victor M. Cope, Patricia Vales, Raymond McMahon
Summary: This study found that measurement of baseline portal pressure is of significant prognostic value in primary biliary cholangitis, providing additional predictive information beyond Mayo score and Ludwig stage.
LIVER INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Atsushi Tanaka
Summary: Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune disease that mainly affects middle-aged women but also young women and men. It is characterized by degeneration and necrosis of intrahepatic biliary epithelial cells, with early diagnosis through detection of antimitochondrial antibodies and introduction of ursodeoxycholic acid as first-line treatment significantly improving clinical outcomes.
CLINICAL AND MOLECULAR HEPATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Nidhi Jalan-Sakrikar, Abid Anwar, Usman Yaqoob, Can Gan, Anthony B. Lagnado, Alexander Q. Wixom, Diana Jurk, Robert C. Huebert
Summary: This study investigated the mechanistic relationship between telomere damage and biliary fibrosis in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). The results showed telomere attrition and reduced telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) expression in patients with PSC. Cellular models demonstrated that telomere dysfunction can lead to senescence and fibrosis, which can be rescued by modulating TERT levels.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Bin Ke, Chunyu Li, Huifang Shang
Summary: Hematologic abnormalities are associated with the susceptibility of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), but whether there is a causal association is still unclear. In this study, we conducted analyses to explore the causative role of hematological traits in the risk of PBC. The results showed that genetically higher hemoglobin and hematocrit levels are associated with a reduced risk of PBC, providing potential targets for disease prevention and treatment.
JOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Surain B. Roberts, Gideon M. Hirschfield, Lawrence J. Worobetz, Catherine Vincent, Jennifer A. Flemming, Angela Cheung, Karim Qumosani, Mark Swain, Dusanka Grbic, Hin Hin Ko, Kevork Peltekian, Nazia Selzner, Lusine Abrahamyan, Bishoi Aziz, Ellina Lytvyak, Kattleya Tirona, Aliya F. Gulamhusein, Harry L. A. Janssen, Aldo J. Montano-Loza, Andrew L. Mason, Bettina E. Hansen
Summary: In a diverse Canadian cohort of PBC patients, Indigenous Canadians have poorer liver transplant-free and event-free survival compared to White patients. They are more likely to have a clinical event before diagnosis and present with higher liver function test indicators, which persist during follow-up.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Mark R. Pedersen, Garrett Greenan, Sumant Arora, Arvind R. Murali, Marlyn J. Mayo
Summary: UDCA after LT reduces the odds of BC and bile stones and sludge in all-comer LT recipients and reduces or delays the incidence of rPBC in patients transplanted for PBC. UDCA use after LT could be considered in all LT recipients to reduce the odds of BC and may be particularly beneficial for patients transplanted for PBC by reducing the incidence of rPBC.
LIVER TRANSPLANTATION
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Ben Barron-Millar, Laura Ogle, George Mells, Steven Flack, Jonathan Badrock, Richard Sandford, John Kirby, Jeremy Palmer, Laura Jopson, John Brain, Graham R. Smith, Steve Rushton, Vinod S. Hegade, Rebecca Jones, Simon Rushbrook, Douglas Thorburn, Steve Ryder, Gideon Hirschfield, Jessica K. Dyson, David E. J. Jones
Summary: The UK-PBC study aimed to explore the biological basis of UDCA nonresponse in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and identified a set of serum chemokines potentially related to cellular senescence with significant differential expression between responders and nonresponders. These proteins have the potential to serve as biomarkers for high-risk disease identification and should be further evaluated for their clinical utility in prospective studies.
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Yamini Natarajan, Aylin Tansel, Parth Patel, Kingsley Emologu, Richa Shukla, Zeeshan Qureshi, Hashem B. El-Serag, Aaron P. Thrift, Fasiha Kanwal
Summary: The risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) are not clear, but cirrhosis and male gender are shown to be significant factors in increasing HCC incidence. Further studies are needed to evaluate additional risk factors in this population and support current recommendations for HCC surveillance in PBC patients with cirrhosis.
DIGESTIVE DISEASES AND SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Mina Shaker, Natalie Mansour, Binu V. John
Summary: PBC, although more prevalent in females, has shown to be more common in males than previously believed. Men tend to present at a later stage of the disease and have a higher risk of death or transplantation, even after adjusting for various factors. There is a need for greater research and education to raise awareness and improve early detection among males with PBC.
CLINICS IN LIVER DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Markus Graf, Christian M. Lange, Mona M. Langer, Joern M. Schattenberg, Jessica Seessle, Julia Dietz, Annika Vermehren, Florian A. Michael, Antonia Mondorf, Stefan Zeuzem, Anita Pathil, Christiana Graf, David E. Kaplan, Hideaki Kato
Summary: This study aimed to assess the prevalence, biochemical, and serological features, as well as the clinical course, of AIH-PBC VS. The results showed that the biochemical Paris criteria were rarely detected and should be redefined. Combined therapy of UDCA and IS appeared to be more effective than monotherapy with UDCA.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Letter
Rheumatology
Giuseppe. A. A. Ramirez, Luca Moroni, Emanuel Della-Torre, Maria Gerosa, Lorenzo Beretta, Enrica. P. P. Bozzolo, Lorenzo Dagna
ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2023)
Letter
Rheumatology
Maria De Santis, Antonio Voza, Victor Savevski, Salvatore Badalamenti, Maurizio Cecconi, Alberto Mantovani, Carlo Selmi
ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Allergy
Maria Elena Laino, Angela Ammirabile, Francesca Motta, Maria De Santis, Victor Savevski, Marco Francone, Arturo Chiti, Lorenzo Mannelli, Carlo Selmi, Lorenzo Monti
Summary: The cardiovascular system is frequently affected by COVID-19, particularly in hospitalized cases, leading to complications such as myocarditis and pulmonary embolism. Early detection through imaging techniques such as CT scan and MRI is important for prompt disease recognition and evaluation. The immune system's abnormal response is responsible for severe COVID-19 and organ-specific injury, with molecular mimicry possibly being the immunological mechanism for myocarditis in COVID-19.
CLINICAL REVIEWS IN ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Allergy
Rossana Scrivo, Salvatore D'Angelo, Antonio Carriero, Chiara Castellani, Fabio Massimo Perrotta, Fabrizio Conti, Matteo Vecellio, Carlo Selmi, Ennio Lubrano
Summary: Psoriatic arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by various symptoms and comorbidities. Its pathogenesis involves both autoinflammatory and autoimmune aspects.
CLINICAL REVIEWS IN ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Allergy
Augusto Bleve, Francesca Motta, Barbara Durante, Chiara Pandolfo, Carlo Selmi, Antonio Sica
Summary: The immune system plays a crucial role in maintaining tissue homeostasis and defending against pathogens and cancer cells. However, the aging process leads to a decline in immune function, resulting in compromised immune responses and unresolved inflammation. This contributes to a subclinical syndrome of homeostatic frailty in the elderly, making them more susceptible to immune debilitation and chronic low-grade inflammation, which in turn increase the risk of chronic and degenerative diseases. This review focuses on the age-dependent changes in myeloid populations and their impact on frailty and diseases in the elderly.
CLINICAL REVIEWS IN ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Luca Moroni, Martina Mazzetti, Giuseppe Alvise Ramirez, Simone Zuffada, Anna Ciancio, Gabriele Gallina, Nicola Farina, Enrica Bozzolo, Valentina Di Mattei, Lorenzo Dagna
Summary: This study found that Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is relatively common in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and has a detrimental impact on their quality of life.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Chiara Masetti, Nicola Pugliese, Ludovica Lofino, Francesca Colapietro, Roberto Ceriani, Ana Lleo, Dario Poretti, Vittorio Pedicini, Stella De Nicola, Guido Torzilli, Lorenza Rimassa, Alessio Aghemo, Ezio Lanza
Summary: Alterations in nutritional status, particularly sarcopenia, have been linked to poor prognosis in cirrhotic patients. The predictive value of myosteatosis, defined as fat infiltration into skeletal muscle, is not well-known. In this retrospective analysis of 151 cirrhotic patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma, myosteatosis was not associated with overall survival.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Karolina Akinosoglou, Antigone Kotsaki, Ioanna-Maria Gounaridi, Eirini Christaki, Simeon Metallidis, Georgios Adamis, Archontoula Fragkou, Massimo Fantoni, Aggeliki Rapti, Ioannis Kalomenidis, Georgios Chrysos, Gloria Boni, Ilias Kainis, Zoi Alexiou, Francesco Castelli, Francesco Saverio Serino, Petros Bakakos, Emanuele Nicastri, Vassiliki Tzavara, Asimina Safarika, Sofia Ioannou, Lorenzo Dagna, Katerina Dimakou, Glykeria Tzatzagou, Maria Chini, Matteo Bassetti, Vasileios Kotsis, Andrea Angheben, George Tsoukalas, Carlo Selmi, Olga-Maria Spiropoulou, Michael Samarkos, Michael Doumas, Georgia Damoraki, Aikaterini Masgala, Ilias Papanikolaou, Aikaterini Argyraki, Marcantonio Negri, Konstantinos Leventogiannis, Styliani Sympardi, Nikolaos K. Gatselis, Vasileios Petrakis, Mihai G. Netea, Periklis Panagopoulos, Vissaria Sakka, George N. Dalekos, Evangelos J. Giamarellos-Bourboulis
Summary: The SAVE-MORE trial found that anakinra treatment in COVID-19 pneumonia patients with suPAR levels of 6 ng/mL or more was associated with worse outcomes compared to placebo at day 28. Subgroup analyses showed that anakinra treatment had lower odds of worse outcomes in all studied subgroups. Long-term outcomes at days 60 and 90 also favored anakinra treatment.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Luca Moroni, Laura Giudice, Marco Lanzillotta, Adriana Cariddi, Giuseppe A. Ramirez, Enrica P. Bozzolo, Bruno Germinario, Gabriele Gallina, Stefano Viscardi, Angelo Carretta, Lorenzo Dagna
Summary: This study investigates the role of immunosuppressive treatment on the risk of relapse in patients with subglottic stenosis. The results show that systemic immunosuppression can prevent the recurrence of subglottic stenosis in patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Giulia Milardi, Ana Lleo
Summary: Primary liver cancer is a major cause of cancer-related death. The cellular components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) have been found to play a crucial role in tumor growth. This review provides a comprehensive summary of B-cell biology and their impact on liver malignancies, as well as their potential role in new immunotherapies for primary liver cancer treatment.
Article
Virology
Francesca Colapietro, Giovanni Angelotti, Chiara Masetti, Dana Shiffer, Nicola Pugliese, Stella De Nicola, Francesco Carella, Antonio Desai, Monica Ormas, Marta Calatroni, Paolo Omodei, Michele Ciccarelli, Stefano Aliberti, Francesco Reggiani, Michele Bartoletti, Maurizio Cecconi, Ana Lleo, Alessio Aghemo, Antonio Voza
Summary: The impact of UDCA on COVID-19 outcomes was analyzed, and the results showed that UDCA was not associated with mortality but was associated with a lower rate of CPAP treatment.
Meeting Abstract
Rheumatology
Angela Ceribelli, Francesca Motta, Nicoletta Luciano, Giacomo Maria Guidelli, Marta Caprioli, Natasa Isailovic, Matteo Vecellio, Sofia Manara, Lorenzo Monti, Marco Francone, Carlo Selmi, Maria De Santis
CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RHEUMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Rheumatology
Antonio Tonutti, Edoardo Simonetta, Anna Stainer, Giulia Suigo, Maria De Santis, Carlo Selmi, Chiara Masetti, Ana Lleo, Luigi Maria Terracciano, Stefano Aliberti, Francesco Amati
Summary: We report the first case of ANCA-associated vasculitis following Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, with prominent liver involvement and alveolar haemorrhage. The patient developed inflammatory arthralgias and hypertransaminasaemia two weeks after vaccination. Fever and haemoptysis appeared two months later, and the patient tested positive for anti-proteinase 3 autoantibodies.
MODERN RHEUMATOLOGY CASE REPORTS
(2023)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Nicola Pugliese, Davide Polverini, Ivan Arcari, Stella De Nicola, Francesca Colapietro, Chiara Masetti, Monica Ormas, Roberto Ceriani, Ana Lleo, Alessio Aghemo
Summary: The efficacy and safety of DAAs in the elderly population appear to be similar to that of the general population, but further research is needed to confirm this evidence.
TROPICAL MEDICINE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Allergy
Francesca Motta, Elisa Barone, Antonio Sica, Carlo Selmi
Summary: Osteoarthritis is a prevalent disease in the elderly population, and the role of inflammaging in its development has been explored. Inflammaging affects immune response and cartilage degradation, and may serve as a potential therapeutic target.
CLINICAL REVIEWS IN ALLERGY & IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Shane Kelly, Katherine J. L. Jackson, Timothy J. Peters, Dan Suan, Christopher C. Goodnow
Summary: This study successfully identified and characterized PR3-specific B cells from the peripheral blood of patients with PR3 autoantibodies. These cells exhibited specific immunological features, suggesting that PR3 self-reactivity may occur early in B-cell development.
JOURNAL OF AUTOIMMUNITY
(2024)
Article
Immunology
Ana Merino-Vico, Jan Piet van Hamburg, Paul Tuijnenburg, Giulia Frazzei, Aram Al-Soudi, Carlo G. Bonasia, Boy Helder, Abraham Rutgers, Wayel H. Abdulahad, Coen A. Stegeman, Jan-Stephan Sanders, Laura Bergamaschi, Paul A. Lyons, Theo Bijma, Laura van Keep, Kirsten Wesenhagen, Aldo Jongejan, Henric Olsson, Niek de Vries, Taco W. Kuijpers, Peter Heeringa, Sander W. Tas
Summary: B lineage cells play a critical role in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), and the transcription factor NF-kappa B may be a potential therapeutic target for AAV and other autoimmune diseases with prominent B cell involvement.
JOURNAL OF AUTOIMMUNITY
(2024)
Article
Immunology
Christopher Nelke, Thomas Muentefering, Derya Cengiz, Lukas Theissen, Vera Dobelmann, Christina B. Schroeter, Helena Block, Corinna Preu, Alexander P. E. Michels, Stefanie Lichtenberg, Marc Pawlitzki, Steffen Pfeuffer, Niklas Huntemann, Alexander Zarbock, Thorben Briese, Christoph Kittl, Carsten Dittmayer, Thomas Budde, Ingrid E. Lundberg, Werner Stenzel, Sven G. Meuth, Tobias Ruck
Summary: K2P2.1 plays a regulatory role in the autoimmune response of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs), by regulating inflammatory cell response, adhesion, and transmigration in both endothelial and skeletal muscle cells. Inhibiting K2P2.1 enhances the inflammatory response, while activating K2P2.1 improves the disease course.
JOURNAL OF AUTOIMMUNITY
(2024)
Article
Immunology
Xuan Zhang, Jun Xia, Ying Jiang, David S. Pisetsky, Josef S. Smolen, Rong Mu, Shengming Dai, Michael E. Weinblatt, Tore K. Kvien, Juan Li, Thomas Doerner, Yu Zhang, Liwei Lu, Chengde Yang, Pingting Yang, Yuan Zhang, Chenchen Xu, Zhan Zhao, Peter E. Lipsky
Summary: The study suggests that TwHF may be as effective as MTX in treating active RA, and combination therapy may be more effective than monotherapy.
JOURNAL OF AUTOIMMUNITY
(2024)
Article
Immunology
Maya F. Amjadi, Maxwell H. Parker, Ryan R. Adyniec, Zihao Zheng, Alex M. Robbins, S. Janna Bashar, Michael F. Denny, Sara S. Mccoy, Irene M. Ong, Miriam A. Shelef
Summary: Rheumatoid factors (RFs) are polyreactive antibodies that can bind disease-specific epitopes. Recent studies have found that RFs in COVID-19 can bind novel IgG epitopes, which provides new insights into the mechanism of RFs.
JOURNAL OF AUTOIMMUNITY
(2024)
Article
Immunology
Johanne Liberatore, Yann Nguyen, Jerome Hadjadj, Pascal Cohen, Luc Mouthon, Xavier Puechal, Loic Guillevin, Benjamin Terrier
Summary: B-cell depletion induced by rituximab (RTX) in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV) can lead to decreased gammaglobulin levels, which is associated with an increased risk of relapse and severe infections. Older age, low gammaglobulin levels, and receiving pulses of methylprednisolone at induction therapy are risk factors for gammaglobulin decline.
JOURNAL OF AUTOIMMUNITY
(2024)