Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is the commonest among the specific dermatoses of pregnancy. The disease is characterised by intense pruritus and specifically by elevated bile acid levels and owing to the rarity of data published in this context, the disease carries a great challenge in both diagnosis and management. The disease is associated with significant maternal as well as perinatal adverse effects, hence, this article aims at improving the knowledge of the women's health carers with the up-to-date and evidence-based, whenever possible, recommendations while managing patients with ICP.
Background & Aims: Approximately 40% of patients with Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) show incomplete response to ursodeoxycholic acid, thus needing second-line treatment to prevent disease progression. As no head-to-head comparison study is available, we used a network meta-analysis (NMA) to compare efficacy and safety of available second-line therapies.
Methods: We performed a systematic literature review including randomised, placebo-controlled trials of patients with PBC and incomplete response, or intolerance, to ursodeoxycholic acid, and compared relative risks (RRs) for primary (biochemical response at 52-week) and secondary outcomes [incidence of new-onset pruritus and serious adverse events (SAEs)].
Vanishing bile duct syndrome (VBDS) is characterized by the progressive loss and destruction of the intrahepatic bile ducts, leading to bile stasis and associated symptoms such as jaundice. This condition is commonly associated with drug side effects, infections, neoplasms, and autoimmune diseases, but the precise mechanism of its development is unclear. Although VBDS can be diagnosed based on the patient's symptoms and disease progression, a liver biopsy is essential for confirmation, and the prognosis can vary significantly.
Background: This study aims to investigate the relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA level and pregnancy outcomes among hepatitis B carriers.
Methods: This study collected pregnant women who attended the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University (Guizhou, China) from June 2020 to June 2023. The levels of HBV DNA, HBV RNA, and HBeAg status in HBV carriers were detected.
The Center for Pediatric Liver Diseases, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Shanghai 201102, China. Electronic address:
Background: Ubiquitin-specific protease 53 (USP53) deficiency is associated with familial intrahepatic cholestasis in which serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity is relatively low. However, how USP53 deficiency contributes to cholestasis is obscure. No animal model has been reported.
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) are liver diseases that damage bile ducts, leading to bile accumulation, liver injury, and increased risk of liver failure; current treatments are limited, especially for PSC.
Ursodeoxycholic acid is the first-line treatment for PBC, but many patients do not respond fully, indicating a need for better therapies; pruritus (itching) is a common and severe symptom due to cholestasis that is often inadequately treated.
The review examines the use of PPAR agonists, a type of medication that targets liver metabolism, as potential second-line treatments for PBC and PSC, highlighting recent FDA approvals for
