Anti-integrin αvβ6 Autoantibodies in the Recurrence of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Following Liver Transplantation
- 1Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine
Abstract
BackgroundPrediction and diagnosis of recurrent primary sclerosing cholangitis (rPSC) after liver transplantation remain challenging. We investigated anti-integrin v{beta}6 autoantibody titers and their association with rPSC development.
MethodsTwenty-three patients with PSC with serial serum samples and liver biopsies after liver transplantation were included. rPSC was diagnosed according to the 2024 Japanese diagnostic criteria. Anti-integrin v{beta}6 autoantibody titers were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Fold changes (FCs) in antibody titers were calculated relative to each patients pre-transplant baseline, and the maximum FC during post-transplant follow-up was defined as FCmax.
ResultsAntibody titers significantly decreased at the first postoperative measurement compared with the pre-transplant level. Ten of 23 patients developed rPSC. Three patients whose ulcerative colitis activity changed after transplantation were excluded from further analysis, leaving 20 patients. The maximum absolute antibody titer during post-transplant follow-up was not associated with rPSC development. However, FCmax was significantly higher in patients with rPSC than in those without rPSC (1.381 vs. 0.514, P = 0.041), with an AUC of 0.781.
ConclusionsAnti-integrin v{beta}6 autoantibody titers significantly decreased after liver transplantation for PSC. Post-transplant antibody re-elevation relative to the pre-transplant baseline was significantly associated with the development of rPSC.
Related
- Five critical blind spots limiting translational progress in primary sclerosing cholangitis.
- A Case of Pancreaticobiliary Maljunction Associated with IgG4-related Sclerosing Cholangitis and Type 1 Autoimmune Pancreatitis
- Current Management of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) ~A Proposal for Early-stage PSC~
- Paradoxical hepcidin–iron dysregulation in primary sclerosing cholangitis
- Case Report: Diffuse peribiliary metastasis from ovarian cancer mimicking sclerosing cholangitis without a detectable mass.
BibTeX
@misc{chikugo2026antiintegrin,
title = {{Anti-integrin αvβ6 Autoantibodies in the Recurrence of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Following Liver Transplantation}},
author = {K. Chikugo and T. Kuwada and M. Shiokawa and Y. Nishikawa and H. Yoshida and T. Hirai and N. Mankawa and R. Ito and K. Hashimoto and Y. Mori and F. Toyoda and A. Hirata and K. Sawada and T. Yanaidani and M. Yokode and Y. Muramoto and S. Ota and T. Hirano and Y. Sogabe and N. Kakiuchi and T. Matsumori and Y. Takeuchi and H. Yamazaki and T. Ito and T. Chiba and H. Haga and E. Hatano and H. Seno},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.05.26362063},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.05.26362063v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Anti-integrin αvβ6 Autoantibodies in the Recurrence of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Following Liver Transplantation
AU - K. Chikugo
AU - T. Kuwada
AU - M. Shiokawa
AU - Y. Nishikawa
AU - H. Yoshida
AU - T. Hirai
AU - N. Mankawa
AU - R. Ito
AU - K. Hashimoto
AU - Y. Mori
AU - F. Toyoda
AU - A. Hirata
AU - K. Sawada
AU - T. Yanaidani
AU - M. Yokode
AU - Y. Muramoto
AU - S. Ota
AU - T. Hirano
AU - Y. Sogabe
AU - N. Kakiuchi
AU - T. Matsumori
AU - Y. Takeuchi
AU - H. Yamazaki
AU - T. Ito
AU - T. Chiba
AU - H. Haga
AU - E. Hatano
AU - H. Seno
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/05
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.05.26362063
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.05.26362063v1
AB - BackgroundPrediction and diagnosis of recurrent primary sclerosing cholangitis (rPSC) after liver transplantation remain challenging. We investigated anti-integrin v{beta}6 autoantibody titers and their association with rPSC development. MethodsTwenty-three patients with PSC with serial serum samples and liver biopsies after liver transplantation were included. rPSC was diagnosed according to the 2024 Japanese diagnostic criteria. Anti-integrin v{beta}6 autoantibody titers were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Fold changes (FCs) in antibody titers were calculated relative to each patients pre-transplant baseline, and the maximum FC during post-transplant follow-up was defined as FCmax. ResultsAntibody titers significantly decreased at the first postoperative measurement compared with the pre-transplant level. Ten of 23 patients developed rPSC. Three patients whose ulcerative colitis activity changed after transplantation were excluded from further analysis, leaving 20 patients. The maximum absolute antibody titer during post-transplant follow-up was not associated with rPSC development. However, FCmax was significantly higher in patients with rPSC than in those without rPSC (1.381 vs. 0.514, P = 0.041), with an AUC of 0.781. ConclusionsAnti-integrin v{beta}6 autoantibody titers significantly decreased after liver transplantation for PSC. Post-transplant antibody re-elevation relative to the pre-transplant baseline was significantly associated with the development of rPSC.
ER -