Clinical features of dyslipidemia in patients with primary biliary cholangitis

Objective To analyze the clinical features of dyslipidemia in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Methods The clinical and laboratory data of 136 PBC patients in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2010 to 2016 were retrospectively analyzed.The liver function was compared between patients with normal and abnormal blood lipids. Results Among 136 PBC patients, 100(74%)had abnormal serum lipids. The incidence of increased cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and triglyceride was 61%(59/96), 58%(48/83) and 47%(46/97), respectively; while that of reduced HDL-C was 26%(21/82). The incidences of pruritus [26%(26/100) vs. 8%(3/36), χ2=4.93, P=0.032], serum total bilirubin (TBIL) [17.3(12.2, 28.2) μmol/L vs. 14.5 (9.4, 21.1) μmol/L, Z=2.25, P=0.024], direct bilirubin (DBIL)[5. 5 (3.4, 12.4) μmol/L vs. 4.4(2.9, 7.1) μmol/L, Z=2.00, P=0.045], and glutamyl aminotransferase (GGT)[193.0(64.3, 454.8)U/L vs. 105.5(53.5, 179.5)U/L, Z=2.02, P=0.043], alkaline phosphatase(ALP)[183(86, 351)U/L vs. 135(85, 188) U/L, Z=1.98, P=0.048] in PBC patients with dyslipidemia were significantly higher than thosein patients with normal serum lipids.Pearson regression analysis showed that in PBC patients with dyslipidemia, the ALT was positively corrected with TG and TC(r=0.248 and 0.272, P=0.015 and 0.008); ALB was positively correlated with LDL-C(r=0.335, P=0.002); DBIL was positively corrected with HDL-C(r=0.252, P=0.022); TC was positively correlated with ALP and GGT(r=0.313 and 0.346, P=0.002 and 0.001); GGT was positively correlated with LDL-C(r=0.251, P=0.022). Conslusion Increased TC and LDL-C were more common in PBC patients. PBC patients with dyslipidemia have more severe liver damage than the patients with normal serum lipids. Key words: Cholangitis; Liver cirrhosis, biliary; Dyslipidemia; Hyperlipidemia