Current Management of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) ~A Proposal for Early-stage PSC~
Abstract
Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic, progressive cholangiopathy characterized by inflammation and fibrosis of intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic bile ducts. Its pathogenesis remains incompletely understood, and liver transplantation is currently the only curative treatment available. The diagnosis remains challenging, and no disease-specific biomarkers have been established. Recently, anti-integrin αvβ6 antibodies have emerged as promising serological biomarkers with high specificity for PSC. Advances in imaging modalities, including magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography and peroral cholangioscopy, have improved diagnostic accuracy for PSC. Although various therapeutic approaches have been investigated, no treatment has been shown to improve the long-term outcomes. Microbiota-targeted therapies represent a promising emerging strategy. The clinical course of PSC, particularly in its early stages, is poorly defined. We propose a definition of early stage PSC consisting of two subtypes: small-duct PSC without liver fibrosis and large-duct PSC without cholestatic enzyme elevation or biliary strictures. Early intervention at this stage may improve the prognosis, thus highlighting the need for further validation.
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BibTeX
@article{isayama2026current,
title = {{Current Management of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) ~A Proposal for Early-stage PSC~}},
author = {Hiroyuki Isayama and Toshio Fujisawa and Taito Fukuma and Muneo Ikemura and Ko Tomishima and Nobuhiro Nakamoto and Shuichiro Umetsu and Shintaro Yagi and Itaru Naitoh and Suguru Mizuno and Katsuhiro Sano and Kenji Notohara and Yoshihiro Hirata and Atsushi Tanaka},
journal = {Internal Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.2169/internalmedicine.7715-26},
url = {https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/internalmedicine/advpub/0/advpub_7715-26/_article},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Current Management of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) ~A Proposal for Early-stage PSC~
AU - Hiroyuki Isayama
AU - Toshio Fujisawa
AU - Taito Fukuma
AU - Muneo Ikemura
AU - Ko Tomishima
AU - Nobuhiro Nakamoto
AU - Shuichiro Umetsu
AU - Shintaro Yagi
AU - Itaru Naitoh
AU - Suguru Mizuno
AU - Katsuhiro Sano
AU - Kenji Notohara
AU - Yoshihiro Hirata
AU - Atsushi Tanaka
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/15
JO - Internal Medicine
DO - 10.2169/internalmedicine.7715-26
UR - https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/internalmedicine/advpub/0/advpub_7715-26/_article
AB - Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic, progressive cholangiopathy characterized by inflammation and fibrosis of intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic bile ducts. Its pathogenesis remains incompletely understood, and liver transplantation is currently the only curative treatment available. The diagnosis remains challenging, and no disease-specific biomarkers have been established. Recently, anti-integrin αvβ6 antibodies have emerged as promising serological biomarkers with high specificity for PSC. Advances in imaging modalities, including magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography and peroral cholangioscopy, have improved diagnostic accuracy for PSC. Although various therapeutic approaches have been investigated, no treatment has been shown to improve the long-term outcomes. Microbiota-targeted therapies represent a promising emerging strategy. The clinical course of PSC, particularly in its early stages, is poorly defined. We propose a definition of early stage PSC consisting of two subtypes: small-duct PSC without liver fibrosis and large-duct PSC without cholestatic enzyme elevation or biliary strictures. Early intervention at this stage may improve the prognosis, thus highlighting the need for further validation.
SN - 1349-7235
SN - 0918-2918
ER -