Clinical Trial Details
— Status: Active, not recruiting
Administrative data
NCT number |
NCT02924701 |
Other study ID # |
PBC AU 1 |
Secondary ID |
|
Status |
Active, not recruiting |
Phase |
|
First received |
|
Last updated |
|
Start date |
September 2016 |
Est. completion date |
September 2031 |
Study information
Verified date |
August 2022 |
Source |
University of Aarhus |
Contact |
n/a |
Is FDA regulated |
No |
Health authority |
|
Study type |
Observational
|
Clinical Trial Summary
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune chronic liver disease, characterised by
destruction of the small intrahepatic bile ducts. sCD163 is a macrophage activation marker
shedded into plasma by macrophages in the liver. sMR is a soluble mannose receptor. The
investigators want to investigate whether sCD163 and sMR correlate with disease severity in
patients with PBC, and whether sCD163 and sMR can predict short term disease progression,
changes in quality of life and death in these patients.
Description:
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC, previously called 'primary biliary cirrhosis') is an
autoimmune cholestatic liver disease characterized by destruction of intrahepatic bile ducts
and progression to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. In the pre-cirrhotic phase, fatigue and
pruritus are the dominant symptoms. They reduce PBC patients' quality of life, but the extent
to which they cause the patient to leave the work force and seek disability pension is
unknown. The diagnosis of PBC is based on the presence of two of three major criteria;
unexplained serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) >1.5 times upper normal limit for more than 24
weeks, presence of anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMA), and compatible liver histology.
Multiple models have been conducted to predict prognosis in patients with PBC. The Mayo risk
score is the best validated and includes information on age, bilirubin, albumin, prothrombin
time and peripheral oedema. Other prognostic factors are pruritus and fatigue at diagnosis
that predict the time to develop cirrhosis and its complications.
In PBC, inflammation is attributed to an immune response to mitochondrial autoantigens
followed by a serologic response of anti-mitochondrial antibodies (AMAs); and accompanied by
inflammation of small bile ducts. The pathogenesis includes both CD4 and CD8 cells, which in
the presence of biliary cells expressing the 2-oxo-dehydrogenase pathway (PDC-E2) activates
macrophages via granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor. The activated macrophages,
together with AMAs, produce a proinflammatory response with subsequent liver inflammation and
fibrosis. Thus, macrophages seem to be involved in PBC disease severity and progression.
However, macrophage activation markers have not previously been investigated in PBC patients.
The investigators' research group have during the last years investigated the macrophage
activation marker sCD163. The group have shown increased levels in relation to liver
fibrosis/cirrhosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis (HBV and HCV), non-alcoholic
fatty liver disease (NAFLD/NASH) and alcoholic liver disease (alcoholic hepatitis and
cirrhosis) and liver disease severity including risk of portal hypertension and development
of complications and mortality. Just recently the investigators' research group also
demonstrated that the soluble mannose receptor (sMR) and sCD163 are associated with early and
long-term prognosis of patients with cirrhosis and acute-on-chronic liver failure.
Aims:
To investigate sCD163 and sMR as markers of fibrosis and cirrhosis in PBC patients. Further,
the investigators will investigate sCD163 and sMR as prognostic markers of short-term disease
progression and impact on quality of life in patients followed in our liver centre. Moreover,
the patients' short-term risk of requiring disability pension will be investigated. This will
improve the information available for the patients regarding their short-term prognosis.