This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Newer criteria find higher prevalence of systemic sclerosis in patients with PBC
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
In looking for systemic sclerosis in 100 patients with primary biliary cholangitis, investigators who used the 1980 ACR criteria found a 1% prevalence compared with a 17% prevalence with use of the 2013 ACR and EULAR criteria and a 22% prevalence with use of the 2001 LeRoy and Medsger criteria.
“This article is the first to evaluate the prevalence of [systemic sclerosis] SSc in [primary biliary cholangitis PBC] patients using all three classification criteria, including the most recent ACR/EULAR criteria,” Boyang Zheng, MD, in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Montreal Hospital Center, told Healio Rheumatology. “With the more sensitive criteria, we found a significant discrepancy between previously reported prevalence rates.”
To better estimate the prevalence of SSc in patients with PBC, Zheng and colleagues used the more sensitive 2001 LeRoy and Medsger and 2013 ACR/EULAR criteria. They evaluated 100 patients with PBC who were recruited between 2005 and 2007. The patients underwent clinical characteristic assessment, SSc antibody determination and nailfold capillary microscopy.
Investigators found 1% of patients met the 1980 ACR criteria; 22% met the 2001 LeRoy and Medsger criteria; and 17% met the 2013 ACR/EULAR criteria. The most common findings were Raynaud’s phenomenon, SSc-related antibodies and SSc capillaroscopic patterns.
Based on the data, the researchers recommend for physicians to actively search for comorbid SSc.
“There is probably an underestimation by past studies and this draws attention to the importance of screening for SSc in PBC patients,” Zheng said. – by Will Offit
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts