Project description:Biliary strictures caused by inflammation or fibrosis lead to jaundice and cholangitis which often make it difficult to distinguish malignant strictures. In cases when malignancy cannot be excluded, surgery is often performed. The concept of immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related sclerosing cholangitis (SC) as a benign biliary stricture was recently proposed. The high prevalence of the disease in Asian countries has resulted in multiple diagnostic and treatment guidelines; however, there is need to formulate a standardized diagnostic strategy among various countries considering the utility, invasiveness, and cost-effectiveness. We evaluated accuracies of various diagnostic modalities for biliary strictures comparing pathology in the Delphi meetings which were held in Rochester, MN. The diagnostic utility for each modality was graded according to the experts, including gastroenterologists, endoscopists, radiologists, and pathologists from the United States and Japan. Diagnostic utility of 10 modalities, including serum IgG4 level, noninvasive imaging, endoscopic ultrasound, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-related diagnostic procedures were advocated and the reasons were specified. Serum IgG4 level, noninvasive imaging, diagnostic endoscopic ultrasound and intraductal ultrasonography under endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography were recognized as useful modalities for the diagnosis. The information in this article will aid in the diagnosis of biliary strictures particularly for distinguishing IgG4-SC from cholangiocarcinoma and/or primary SC.
Project description:ObjectivesPolysomy detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is associated with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). However, a subset of PSC patients with polysomy do not manifest CCA even after long-term follow-up. It is unknown if patients with chromosomal gains detected by FISH in multiple areas of the biliary tree (i.e., multifocal polysomy, MFP) are more likely to be diagnosed with CCA than patients with unifocal polysomy (UFP). Therefore, our aim is to determine whether patients with MFP are more likely to manifest CCA compared with patients with other chromosomal abnormalities including UFP and other FISH subtypes.MethodsWe performed a retrospective review of PSC patients without a mass lesion who underwent FISH testing at our institution from 1 January 2005 to 1 July 2013.ResultsThree-hundred and seventy-one PSC patients were included. Compared with patients with UFP, those with MFP were more likely to have weight loss (32 vs. 9%), suspicious cytology (45 vs. 13%) and develop serial polysomy (91 vs. 35%). MFP was associated with CCA (hazard ratio (HR), 82.42; 95% confidence interval (CI), 24.50-277.31) and was the strongest predictor of cancer diagnosis. Suspicious cytology (HR, 26.31; 95% CI, 8.63-80.24) and UFP (HR, 13.27; 95% CI, 3.32-53.08) were also predictive of CCA. MFP, UFP and suspicious cytology remained associated with CCA in the multivariable model.ConclusionsCompared with other FISH subtypes, MFP is the strongest predictor of CCA. However, patients with UFP and suspicious cytology (regardless of FISH status) are also at an increased risk for CCA.
Project description:IntroductionIntertumor and intratumor heterogeneity may explain the diagnostic challenge and limited efficacy of chemotherapy for primary sclerosing cholangitis-associated cholangiocarcinoma (PSC-CCA). In this study, tumor heterogeneity was assessed through p53 and p16 protein expression analysis and next-generation sequencing (NGS) of TP53 and CDKN2A genetic alterations in PSC-associated CCA.MethodsFormalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples from resection material of patients with PSC-CCA or patients with PSC diagnosed with biliary dysplasia were selected. Sections with CCA and foci with dysplastic epithelium were identified by 2 independent gastrointestinal pathologists. Immunohistochemical evaluation of p53 and p16 protein expression and NGS of TP53 and CDKN2A genetic alterations were performed.ResultsA total of 49 CCA and 21 dysplasia samples were identified in the resection specimens of 26 patients. P53 protein expression showed loss of expression, wild type, and overexpression in 14%, 63%, and 23% CCA and in 19%, 62%, and 19% dysplasia samples, respectively. P16 protein expression showed negative, heterogeneous, and positive results in 31%, 57%, and 12% CCA and in 33%, 53%, and 14% dysplasia samples, respectively. NGS showed high intertumor and intratumor heterogeneity of TP53 mutations and CDKN2A loss. Nearly 70% of the samples with a TP53 missense mutation demonstrated p53 overexpression, whereas all samples with a TP53 nonsense mutation demonstrated loss of p53 protein expression.DiscussionPSC-associated CCA is characterized by high intertumor and intratumor heterogeneity of both p53/p16 protein expression and genetic alterations in TP53/CDKN2A, indicating that these tumors consist of multiple subclones with substantially different genetic makeup. The high intertumor and intratumor heterogeneity in PSC-CCA should be acknowledged during the development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Project description:Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a rare chronic cholestatic liver disease characterized by inflammatory destruction of the intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic bile ducts, leading to bile stasis, fibrosis, and ultimately to cirrhosis, and often requires liver transplantation (LT). PSC occurs more commonly in men, and is typically diagnosed between the ages of 30 and 40. Most cases occur in association with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which often precedes the development of PSC. PSC is usually diagnosed after detection of cholestasis during health evaluation or screening of patients with IBD. When symptomatic, the most common presenting symptoms are abdominal pain, pruritus, jaundice or fatigue. The etiology of PSC is poorly understood, but an increasing body of evidence supports the concept of cholangiocyte injury as a result of environmental exposure and an abnormal immune response in genetically susceptible individuals. PSC is a progressive disease, yet no effective medical therapy for halting disease progression has been identified. Management of PSC is mainly focused on treatment of symptoms and addressing complications. PSC can be complicated by bacterial cholangitis, dominant strictures (DSs), gallbladder polyps and adenocarcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and, in patients with IBD, colorectal malignancy. CCA is the most common malignancy in PSC with a cumulative lifetime risk of 10-20%, and accounts for a large proportion of mortality in PSC. LT is currently the only life-extending therapeutic approach for eligible patients with end-stage PSC, ultimately required in approximately 40% of patients. LT secondary to PSC has an excellent outcome compared to other LT indications, although the disease can recur and result in morbidity post-transplant.
Project description:Purpose of reviewCholangiocarcinoma is a devastating, unpredictable complication of large duct primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), which occurs in 5-15% of patients. The aim of this review is to discuss whether dominant strictures (DS) occurring in the larger bile ducts in PSC are a risk factor for the development of cholangiocarcinoma.Recent findingsThe development of DS is related to specific genetic polymorphisms affecting the innate immune system and the microbiome. In a recent study, the mean survival of PSC patients with DS was much worse (13.7 years) than for those without a DS (23 years). Survival difference was related to a 26% risk of cholangiocarcinoma, which developed only in those with DS. Half of the patients with cholangiocarcinoma presented within 4 months of the diagnosis of PSC. In another study, the risk of developing cholangiocarcinoma was directly related to the presence of underlying IBD, although this remains controversial. Efforts are being made towards surveying for cholangiocarcinoma including magnetic resonance imaging, endoscopic surveillance and serum tumour markers, but so far, an effective surveillance strategy has not been identified. DS should be treated endoscopically in the setting of symptoms, and there is limited evidence to suggest this may impact protectively on progression to cholangiocarcinoma.SummaryIt is established that the presence of symptomatic DS occurring in the larger bile ducts in PSC can be the first presentation of cholangiocarcinoma. There is an increasing body of evidence that even when proven to be benign, dominant biliary strictures predispose to the future development of cholangiocarcinoma. Regular surveillance should be targeted at this selected high-risk group of PSC patients.
Project description:Background & aimsDistinction of immunoglobulin G4-associated cholangitis (IAC) from primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) or cholangiocarcinoma is challenging. We aimed to assess the performance characteristics of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) for the diagnosis of IAC.MethodsSeventeen physicians from centers in the United States, Japan, and the United Kingdom, unaware of clinical data, reviewed 40 preselected ERCs of patients with IAC (n = 20), PSC (n = 10), and cholangiocarcinoma (n = 10). The performance characteristics of ERC for IAC diagnosis as well as the ? statistic for intraobserver and interobserver agreement were calculated.ResultsThe overall specificity, sensitivity, and interobserver agreement for the diagnosis of IAC were 88%, 45%, and 0.18, respectively. Reviewer origin, specialty, or years of experience had no statistically significant effect on reporting success. The overall intraobserver agreement was fair (0.74). The operating characteristics of different ERC features for the diagnosis of IAC were poor.ConclusionsDespite high specificity of ERC for diagnosing IAC, sensitivity is poor, suggesting that many patients with IAC may be misdiagnosed with PSC or cholangiocarcinoma. Additional diagnostic strategies are likely to be vital in distinguishing these diseases.
Project description:Background and aimsPrompt and accurate differentiation of benign and malignant strictures in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is crucial. ERCP with brush cytology, the most common modality to achieve this, is hindered by a low diagnostic yield. Cholangioscopy can overcome this limitation by establishing a visual diagnosis based on the characteristic morphologic features of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and can aid in targeted biopsies of suspicious lesions. However, its role in PSC remains unclear. This case series demonstrates the performance of the latest generation of single-operator cholangioscope for this indication.MethodsA single experienced endoscopist performed cholangioscopy for PSC cases referred for ERCP.ResultsCholangioscopies of patients 1 to 3 demonstrate the features of extrahepatic duct dominant strictures (DS) and the cholangioscopic maneuvers undertaken in these cases, including advancement across the DS after balloon dilation, biopsy of the DS, and electrohydraulic lithotripsy of impacted stones. Cholangioscopies of patients 4 to 6 demonstrate the varied features of CCA ranging from focal stricture with tumor vessels, papillary frond-like projections, and features of an intraductal papillary biliary neoplasm. Also shown are the radiographic and histopathologic features of the disease.ConclusionsCholangioscopy allowed us to identify morphologic features of both malignancy and benign disease in PSC in the setting of extrahepatic duct strictures, and we were able to obtain adequate targeted tissue samples for histopathologic confirmation.
Project description:Early and differential diagnosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by noninvasive methods represents a current clinical challenge. The analysis of low-molecular-weight metabolites by new high-throughput techniques is a strategy for identifying biomarkers. Here, we have investigated whether serum metabolome can provide useful biomarkers in the diagnosis of iCCA and HCC and could discriminate iCCA from HCC. Because primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a risk factor for CCA, serum metabolic profiles of PSC and CCA have also been compared. The analysis of the levels of lipids and amino acids in the serum of patients with iCCA, HCC, and PSC and healthy individuals (n = 20/group) showed differential profiles. Several metabolites presented high diagnostic value for iCCA versus control, HCC versus control, and PSC versus control, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) greater than those found in serum for the nonspecific tumor markers carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), commonly used to help in the diagnosis of iCCA and HCC, respectively. The development of an algorithm combining glycine, aspartic acid, SM(42:3), and SM(43:2) permitted to accurately differentiate in the diagnosis of both types of tumors (biopsy-proven). The proposed model yielded 0.890 AUC, 75% sensitivity, and 90% specificity. Another algorithm by combination of PC(34:3) and histidine accurately permitted to differentiate PSC from iCCA, with an AUC of 0.990, 100% sensitivity, and 70% specificity. These results were validated in independent cohorts of 14-15 patients per group and compared with profiles found in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Conclusion: Specific changes in serum concentrations of certain metabolites are useful to differentiate iCCA from HCC or PSC, and could help in the early diagnosis of these diseases.