Correlation of ultrasonic manifestation and laboratory indexes in patients with primary biliary cholangitis

LI Zhi-yan; Chen Xi; ZHANG Zhi-chao; ZHANG Yan-feng; FENG Song; YING Ming-hua; YANG Xiu-mei

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1007-8134.2018.02.010

Abstract：Objective To observe ultrasonic manifestation in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and analyze the differences of biochemical and immune indexes at different pathological stages. Methods Ultrasonic manifestation, pathological data and clinical laboratory findings of 75 patients with pathologically diagnosed PBC were retrospectively analyzed to summarize ultrasonic manifestation at different pathological stages, and to analyze the correlation of pathological staging with liver function and immunological indexes in PBC patients. Results PBC patients exhibited different ultrasonic manifestations at different pathological stages. Normal ultrasound and slightly thickening echoes were shown at stage I. Echo thickening and stripe-like changes were found at stage II. Stripe and nodular changes were dominant at stage III and Ⅳ. Hypoechoic regions around the portal vein appeared in some patients. Statistical analysis of laboratory examination and pathological staging of fibrosis showed that ALT and ALP levels showed statistically significant difference among 4 stages (P < 0.05), levels of ALT, ALP at stage III were higher than those at stages I and II, while the differences among other stages were not statistically significant (P > 0.05); the differences of lgG level among 4 stages were statistically significant (P<0.05), lgG level at stage Ⅳ was higher than that at stage I, while the differences among other stages were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Conclusions The characteristic ultrasonic imaging changes at each pathological stage of PBC, in combination with biochemical immunity indexes, will provide objective basis for noninvasive diagnosis of PBS, which are correlated with the severity of pathological fibrosis of PBC.