Hepatology CommunicationsPub Date : 2024-06-05eCollection Date: 2024-06-01DOI: 10.1097/HC9.0000000000000458
Nancy S Reau, Craig S Lammert, Ethan M Weinberg
{"title":"Autoimmune hepatitis: Current and future therapies.","authors":"Nancy S Reau, Craig S Lammert, Ethan M Weinberg","doi":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000458","DOIUrl":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000458","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic inflammatory liver disease that can lead to cirrhosis and liver failure. AIH can present in all ages, races, and ethnicities, but it predominantly affects women. As a heterogeneous disease, AIH presents variably in different patients, making diagnosis and treatment a challenge. Currently, the standard treatment for AIH comprises immunosuppressants; however, their long-term use is associated with adverse effects. The pathogenesis of AIH is complex, involving T cells, macrophages, and plasma cells that invade the periportal parenchyma and lead to an inflammatory cascade that can result in liver damage. Due to the complexity of AIH pathogenesis, treatment targets several inflammatory pathways. However, unlike other autoimmune diseases in which targeted treatments have been approved, there has been little progress made in advancing the treatment paradigm for AIH. Major obstacles to progress include challenges in conducting clinical trials, particularly patient recruitment and ensuring a diverse range of backgrounds; poorly defined outcomes to assess treatment response and improved quality of life; and a lack of study designs that account for the stage of disease and variations in treatment. A focus on individualized and steroid-free treatment approaches is needed to improve AIH prognosis and minimize steroid-associated adverse effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":12978,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Communications","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11155538/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141247006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hepatology CommunicationsPub Date : 2024-06-05eCollection Date: 2024-06-01DOI: 10.1097/HC9.0000000000000445
Kiran V K Koelfat, Frank G Schaap, Kim M C van Mierlo, Martin Leníček, Ilka Sauer, Gregory van der Kroft, Anjali A J Röth, Jan Bednarsch, Iakovos Amygdalos, Georg Lurje, Maxime J L Dewulf, Sven A Lang, Ulf P Neumann, Steven W M Olde Damink
{"title":"Partial liver resection alters the bile salt-FGF19 axis in patients with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma: Implications for liver regeneration.","authors":"Kiran V K Koelfat, Frank G Schaap, Kim M C van Mierlo, Martin Leníček, Ilka Sauer, Gregory van der Kroft, Anjali A J Röth, Jan Bednarsch, Iakovos Amygdalos, Georg Lurje, Maxime J L Dewulf, Sven A Lang, Ulf P Neumann, Steven W M Olde Damink","doi":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000445","DOIUrl":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000445","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Extended liver resection is the only treatment option for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA). Bile salts and the gut hormone FGF19, both promoters of liver regeneration (LR), have not been investigated in patients undergoing resection for pCCA. We aimed to evaluate the bile salt-FGF19 axis perioperatively in pCCA and study its effects on LR.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Plasma bile salts, FGF19, and C4 (bile salt synthesis marker) were assessed in patients with pCCA and controls (colorectal liver metastases), before and after resection on postoperative days (PODs) 1, 3, and 7. Hepatic bile salts were determined in intraoperative liver biopsies.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Partial liver resection in pCCA elicited a sharp decline in bile salt and FGF19 plasma levels on POD 1 and remained low thereafter, unlike in controls, where bile salts rose gradually. Preoperatively, suppressed C4 in pCCA normalized postoperatively to levels similar to those in the controls. The remnant liver volume and postoperative bilirubin levels were negatively associated with postoperative C4 levels. Furthermore, patients who developed postoperative liver failure had nearly undetectable C4 levels on POD 7. Hepatic bile salts strongly predicted hyperbilirubinemia on POD 7 in both groups. Finally, postoperative bile salt levels on day 7 were an independent predictor of LR.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Partial liver resection alters the bile salt-FGF19 axis, but its derailment is unrelated to LR in pCCA. Postoperative monitoring of circulating bile salts and their production may be useful for monitoring LR.</p>","PeriodicalId":12978,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Communications","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11155560/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141247098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Phospholipid metabolism-related genotypes of PLA2R1 and CERS4 contribute to nonobese MASLD.","authors":"Congxiang Shao, Junzhao Ye, Zhi Dong, Bing Liao, Shiting Feng, Shixian Hu, Bihui Zhong","doi":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000388","DOIUrl":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000388","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Abnormal phospholipid metabolism is linked to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) development and progression. We aimed to clarify whether genetic variants of phospholipid metabolism modify these relationships.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This case-control study consecutively recruited 600 patients who underwent MRI-based proton density fat fraction examination (240 participants with serum metabonomics analysis, 128 biopsy-proven cases) as 3 groups: healthy control, nonobese MASLD, and obese MASLD, (n = 200 cases each). Ten variants of phospholipid metabolism-related genes [phospholipase A2 Group VII rs1805018, rs76863441, rs1421378, and rs1051931; phospholipase A2 receptor 1 (PLA2R1) rs35771982, rs3828323, and rs3749117; paraoxonase-1 rs662 and rs854560; and ceramide synthase 4 (CERS4) rs17160348)] were genotyped using SNaPshot.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The T-allele of CERS4 rs17160348 was associated with a higher risk of both obese and nonobese MASLD (OR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.20-3.15; OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.08-2.86, respectively). PLA2R1 rs35771982-allele is a risk factor for nonobese MASLD (OR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.11-1.24), moderate-to-severe steatosis (OR: 3.24, 95% CI: 1.96-6.22), and steatohepatitis (OR: 2.61, 95% CI: 1.15-3.87), while the paraoxonase-1 rs854560 T-allele (OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.26-0.97) and PLA2R1 rs3749117 C-allele (OR: 1.70, 95% CI: 1.14-2.52) are closely related to obese MASLD. After adjusting for sphingomyelin level, the effect of the PLA2R1 rs35771982CC allele on MASLD was attenuated. Furthermore, similar effects on the association between the CERS4 rs17160348 C allele and MASLD were observed for phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidic acid, sphingomyelin, and phosphatidylinositol.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The mutations in PLA2R1 rs35771982 and CERS4 rs17160348 presented detrimental impact on the risk of occurrence and disease severity in nonobese MASLD through altered phospholipid metabolism.</p>","PeriodicalId":12978,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Communications","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11155565/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141247145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hepatology CommunicationsPub Date : 2024-06-05eCollection Date: 2024-06-01DOI: 10.1097/HC9.0000000000000457
Taiki Mihara, Masatoshi Hori
{"title":"Nicotine aggravates liver fibrosis via α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expressed on activated hepatic stellate cells in mice.","authors":"Taiki Mihara, Masatoshi Hori","doi":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000457","DOIUrl":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000457","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Smoking is a risk factor for liver cirrhosis; however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) has recently been detected in nonimmune cells possessing immunoregulatory functions. We aimed to verify whether nicotine promotes liver fibrosis via α7nAChR.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used osmotic pumps to administer nicotine and carbon tetrachloride to induce liver fibrosis in wild-type and α7nAChR-deficient mice. The severity of fibrosis was evaluated using Masson trichrome staining, hydroxyproline assays, and real-time PCR for profibrotic genes. Furthermore, we evaluated the cell proliferative capacity and COL1A1 mRNA expression in human HSCs line LX-2 and primary rat HSCs treated with nicotine and an α7nAChR antagonist, methyllycaconitine citrate.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Nicotine exacerbated carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in mice (+42.4% in hydroxyproline assay). This effect of nicotine was abolished in α7nAChR-deficient mice, indicating nicotine promotes liver fibrosis via α7nAChR. To confirm the direct involvement of α7nAChRs in liver fibrosis, we investigated the effects of genetic suppression of α7nAChR expression on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis without nicotine treatment. Profibrotic gene expression at 1.5 weeks was significantly suppressed in α7nAChR-deficient mice (-83.8% in Acta2, -80.6% in Col1a1, -66.8% in Tgfb1), and collagen content was decreased at 4 weeks (-22.3% in hydroxyproline assay). The in vitro analysis showed α7nAChR expression in activated but not in quiescent HSCs. Treatment of LX-2 cells with nicotine increased COL1A1 expression (+116%) and cell proliferation (+10.9%). These effects were attenuated by methyllycaconitine citrate, indicating the profibrotic effects of nicotine via α7nAChR.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Nicotine aggravates liver fibrosis induced by other factors by activating α7nAChR on HSCs, thereby increasing their collagen-producing capacity. We suggest the profibrotic effect of nicotine is mediated through α7nAChRs.</p>","PeriodicalId":12978,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Communications","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11155520/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141247068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hepatology CommunicationsPub Date : 2024-06-03eCollection Date: 2024-06-01DOI: 10.1097/HC9.0000000000000430
Amit G Singal, Mark Yarchoan, Adam Yopp, Gonzalo Sapisochin, David J Pinato, Anjana Pillai
{"title":"Neoadjuvant and adjuvant systemic therapy in HCC: Current status and the future.","authors":"Amit G Singal, Mark Yarchoan, Adam Yopp, Gonzalo Sapisochin, David J Pinato, Anjana Pillai","doi":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000430","DOIUrl":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000430","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Surgical therapies in patients with early-stage HCC can afford long-term survival but are often limited by the continued risk of recurrence, underscoring an interest in (neo)adjuvant strategies. Prior attempts at adjuvant therapy using tyrosine kinase inhibitors failed to yield significant improvements in recurrence-free survival or overall survival. Advances in the efficacy of systemic therapy options, including the introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors, have fueled renewed interest in this area. Indeed, the IMBrave050 trial recently demonstrated significant improvements in recurrence-free survival with 1 year of adjuvant atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in high-risk patients undergoing surgical resection or ablation, with several other ongoing trials in this space. There is a strong rationale for consideration of the administration of these therapies in the neoadjuvant setting, supported by early clinical data demonstrating high rates of objective responses, although larger trials examining downstream outcomes are necessary, particularly considering the possible risks of this strategy. In parallel, there has been increased interest in using systemic therapies as a bridging or downstaging strategy for liver transplantation. Current data suggest the short-term safety of this approach, with acceptable rates of rejection, so immunotherapy is not considered a contraindication to transplant; however, larger studies are needed to evaluate the incremental value of this approach over locoregional therapy. Conversely, the use of immunotherapy is currently discouraged after liver transplantation, given the high risk of graft rejection and death. The increasing complexity of HCC management and increased consideration of (neo)adjuvant strategies highlight the critical role of multidisciplinary care when making these decisions.</p>","PeriodicalId":12978,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Communications","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11150030/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141199666","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hepatology CommunicationsPub Date : 2024-06-03eCollection Date: 2024-06-01DOI: 10.1097/HC9.0000000000000476
{"title":"Erratum: Pragmatic strategies to address health disparities along the continuum of care in chronic liver disease.","authors":"","doi":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000476","DOIUrl":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000476","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12978,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Communications","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.1,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11150020/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141199632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Proteomic analysis of serum extracellular vesicles reveals Fibulin-3 as a new marker predicting liver-related events in MASLD.","authors":"Sadatsugu Sakane, Hayato Hikita, Kumiko Shirai, Tatsuya Sakamoto, Ryohei Narumi, Jun Adachi, Naruyasu Kakita, Yukinori Yamada, Hidenori Toyoda, Hirokazu Takahashi, Goki Suda, Machiko Kai, Yuki Tahata, Ryotaro Sakamori, Shusuke Kumazaki, Kenji Fukumoto, Yuta Myojin, Kazuhiro Murai, Takahiro Kodama, Tomohide Tatsumi, Takeshi Tomonaga, Naoya Sakamoto, Eiichi Morii, Tetsuo Takehara","doi":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000448","DOIUrl":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000448","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>There is a need for novel noninvasive markers for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) to stratify patients at high risk for liver-related events including liver cancer and decompensation. In the present study, we used proteomic analysis of proteins in extracellular vesicles (EVs) to identify new biomarkers that change with fibrosis progression and can predict the development of liver-related events.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed serum EVs from 50 patients with MASLD assessed for liver fibrosis by biopsy and identified proteins that altered with advanced fibrosis. A further evaluation was conducted on another cohort of 463 patients with MASLD with biopsy.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eight candidate proteins were identified by proteomic analysis of serum EVs. Among them, serum levels of Fibulin-3, Fibulin-1, and Ficolin 1 correlated with their EV levels. In addition, serum Fibulin-3 and serum Fibulin-1 levels changed significantly with advanced fibrosis. Using another cohort with biopsy, we found that the serum Fibulin-3 concentration was significantly greater in those with advanced fibrosis but that the serum Fibulin-1 concentration was not significantly different. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that a higher Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index and higher serum Fibulin-3 concentration were independent risk factors for liver-related events. When the cutoff value for the serum Fibulin-3 concentration was 6.0 µg/mL according to the Youden index of AUROCs, patients with high serum Fibulin-3 significantly more frequently developed liver-related events than did other patients. Validation using another cohort of 226 patients with clinically diagnosed MASLD confirmed that high serum Fibulin-3 levels are associated with a greater frequency of liver-related events.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Serum Fibulin-3 was identified as a biomarker for predicting liver-related events in patients with MASLD.</p>","PeriodicalId":12978,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Communications","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11150025/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141199597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hepatology CommunicationsPub Date : 2024-06-03eCollection Date: 2024-06-01DOI: 10.1097/HC9.0000000000000453
Ruchi Desai, Yue Jiang, Lisa B VanWagner, Amit G Singal, Sarah R Lieber
{"title":"Financial burden in a US cohort of patients with HCC.","authors":"Ruchi Desai, Yue Jiang, Lisa B VanWagner, Amit G Singal, Sarah R Lieber","doi":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000453","DOIUrl":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000453","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>High financial burden for patients has been reported for multiple types of cancer, but there are limited data in those with HCC. We aimed to describe the financial burden for patients diagnosed with HCC and identify correlates of high financial burden.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used the IQVIA PharMetrics Plus for Academics database to identify commercially insured patients diagnosed with HCC between 2006 and 2021. Patient financial liability was defined as the difference between allowed and paid amounts from adjudicated insurance claims. We reported total and HCC-related financial liabilities (i.e., cost for HCC-related claims), with high total financial liability defined as ≥$3000 annually and high HCC-related financial liability as ≥$1000 annually. We used multivariable logistic regression modeling to identify factors associated with high total and HCC-related financial liability.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 11,609 patients with HCC, the median total financial liability during the year after HCC diagnosis was $2955 (Q1-Q3: $972-$6293). Nearly half (45%) of patients experienced high total financial liability, with the greatest liability incurred in the 3-month period immediately following HCC diagnosis. Older age, increased comorbidity, and cirrhosis-related complications were associated with higher total patient liability. Patient liability also varied by type of HCC treatment, with systemic therapy and liver transplantation having the highest financial liability in multivariable analysis. However, only 66.7% of the patients experienced HCC-related liability.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Patients with HCC experience significant financial liability underscoring a need for price transparency as well as financial counseling in this population.</p>","PeriodicalId":12978,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Communications","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11150032/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141199635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hepatology CommunicationsPub Date : 2024-06-03eCollection Date: 2024-06-01DOI: 10.1097/HC9.0000000000000456
Camille A Kezer, Kathryn A Schmidt, Vijay H Shah
{"title":"Statin the course: Navigating unchartered territory in cirrhosis.","authors":"Camille A Kezer, Kathryn A Schmidt, Vijay H Shah","doi":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000456","DOIUrl":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000456","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":12978,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Communications","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11150024/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141199683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hepatology CommunicationsPub Date : 2024-06-03eCollection Date: 2024-06-01DOI: 10.1097/HC9.0000000000000454
Ana S Garcia Moreno, Maria E Guicciardi, Alexander Q Wixom, Erik Jessen, Jingchun Yang, Sumera I Ilyas, Jackie K Bianchi, Filippo Pinto E Vairo, Konstantinos N Lazaridis, Gregory J Gores
{"title":"IL-17 signaling in primary sclerosing cholangitis patient-derived organoids.","authors":"Ana S Garcia Moreno, Maria E Guicciardi, Alexander Q Wixom, Erik Jessen, Jingchun Yang, Sumera I Ilyas, Jackie K Bianchi, Filippo Pinto E Vairo, Konstantinos N Lazaridis, Gregory J Gores","doi":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000454","DOIUrl":"10.1097/HC9.0000000000000454","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The pathogenesis of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is unclear, although studies implicate IL-17A as an inflammatory mediator in this disease. However, a direct assessment of IL-17 signaling in PSC cholangiocytes is lacking. In this study, we aimed to investigate and characterize the response of PSC extrahepatic cholangiocyte organoids (ECO) to IL-17A stimulation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Cholangiocytes obtained from patients with PSC and without PSC by endoscopic retrograde cholangiography were cultured as ECO. The ECO were treated with vehicle or IL-17A and assessed by transcriptomics, secretome analysis, and genome sequencing.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Unsupervised clustering of all integrated single-cell RNA sequencing data identified 8 cholangiocyte clusters that did not differ between PSC and non-PSC ECO. However, PSC ECO cells demonstrated a robust response to IL-17 treatment, as noted by an increased number of differentially expressed genes by transcriptomics and more abundant chemokine and cytokine expression and secretion. After rigorous filtering, genome sequencing identified candidate somatic variants shared among PSC ECO from unrelated individuals. However, no candidate rare variants in genes regulating the IL-17 pathway were identified, but rare variants regulating the MAPK signaling pathway were present in all PSC ECO.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>PSC and non-PSC patient-derived ECO respond differently to IL-17 stimulation, implicating this pathway in the pathogenesis of PSC.</p>","PeriodicalId":12978,"journal":{"name":"Hepatology Communications","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2024-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11150034/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141199665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}