(Press-News.org) Tsukuba, Japan—Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic, progressive inflammatory disease characterized by fibrosis and bile duct stricturing, which ultimately leads to cirrhosis and liver failure. PSC is strongly associated with both types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), namely, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. However, the patient population in Asia is relatively small, and no large-scale studies have previously examined the prevalence and clinical course of PSC in this region. To address this gap, the research team conducted a multinational collaborative study across six Asian countries.
In this study, 25 institutions from Japan, Korea, China (including Hong Kong), Taiwan, Malaysia, and India analyzed data from approximately 51,000 patients with IBD. The analysis revealed that the prevalence of PSC among patients with IBD in Asian centers is markedly lower than in Western countries, with a tendency toward more favorable clinical outcomes. Furthermore, patients presenting with symptoms such as jaundice or hypoalbuminemia—indicative of impaired liver function—at the time of PSC diagnosis required liver transplantation sooner. However, the proportion of "asymptomatic PSC" at diagnosis has increased in recent years. These patients demonstrated preserved liver function, remaining stable for a prolonged time without needing a liver transplantation. This trend may be attributable to the widespread use of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, a noninvasive imaging modality that enables early-stage detection of PSC.
This study is the first systematic effort in identifying PSC cases among patients with IBD in Asia. The findings are expected to guide the development of clinical practice guidelines tailored to the unique characteristics and healthcare systems of Asian countries.
###
This study was supported by a grant of the Korean Association for the Study of Intestinal Diseases for 2023 (2023-02).
Original Paper
Title of original paper:
Prevalence and Outcomes of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Multinational Study across Asia
Journal:
Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology
DOI:
10.1016/j.cgh.2025.11.020
Correspondence
Assistant Professor AKIYAMA, Shintaro
Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba
Related Link
Institute of Medicine
END
Lower prevalence of PSC among patients with IBD in Asia: Insights from a multinational study
2025-12-02
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Alcohol and ultrasonic irradiation: An effective CCl₄ decomposition tag team
2025-12-02
Carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) is a type of volatile organic compound (VOC) that was once widely used as a refrigerant and cleaning agent, but is now strictly regulated due to its toxic properties. However, its environmental impact remains a concern and recent reports indicate that CCl₄ emissions have been detected in some countries. Therefore, the development of CCl₄ decomposition technology is critical, and holds promise for its application in decomposing and neutralizing various VOCs.
In search of a probable solution, Professor Kenji Okitsu and graduate student Aerfate Abulikemu from Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate School ...
Conquer the diseases of aging and humans could live far longer than we think, scientists propose
2025-12-02
BONN, GERMANY, 2 December 2025 -- A landmark review published today in Genomic Psychiatry challenges researchers to fundamentally reconsider how the field measures and conceptualizes biological aging. Dr. Dan Ehninger, who leads the Translational Biogerontology Laboratory at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, and Dr. Maryam Keshavarz present a systematic analysis arguing that widely used proxies for aging, including lifespan extension, epigenetic clocks, frailty indices, and even the celebrated hallmarks of aging framework, may conflate genuine modifications of aging trajectories with simpler age-independent effects on physiology.
The ...
National study finds where you live influences your body weight
2025-12-02
A Curtin University-led study has found that where Australians live has a measurable influence on their body weight, with local food environments and neighbourhood design playing a big part in shaping health outcomes.
The research tracked the same Australians across 14 years and discovered that people who move to a new area gradually adopt part of the typical weight profile of their new community, showing that “place” itself contributes to differences in weight across the country.
Lead author PhD candidate Michael Windsor, from the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre, said the findings ...
What your sweat can reveal about your health
2025-12-02
Sweat contains a wealth of biological information that, with the help of artificial intelligence and next-generation sensors, could transform how we monitor our health and wellbeing, a new study suggests.
The study, published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis, examines sweat's potential for real-time monitoring of hormones and other biomarkers, medication doses, and early detection of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
“Collecting sweat is painless, simple ...
Groundbreaking research compares prompt styles and LLMs for structured data generation - Unveiling key trade-offs for real-world AI applications
2025-12-02
Nashville, TN & Williamsburg, VA – 24 Nov 2025 – A new study published in Artif. Intell. Auton. Syst. delivers the first systematic cross-model analysis of prompt engineering for structured data generation, offering actionable guidance for developers, data scientists, and organizations leveraging large language models (LLMs) in healthcare, e-commerce, and beyond. Led by Ashraf Elnashar from Vanderbilt University, alongside co-authors Jules White (Vanderbilt University) and Douglas C. Schmidt (William & ...
Beat the bugs, enjoy the beats
2025-12-02
As summer festivals and youth gatherings return in full swing, new research from Flinders University is revealing the hidden health risks that come with multi-day events, and how to avoid them.
A comprehensive review led by public health experts to identify and understand the risks that occur at multi-day events reveals that infectious disease outbreaks and foodborne illnesses are the most common public health threats at youth-focused mass gatherings.
The global study examined 19 multi-day events attended predominantly by young people, ranging from music festivals and cultural ...
Genome advancement puts better Wagyu marbling on the menu
2025-12-02
Researchers from the University of Adelaide’s Davies Livestock Research Centre (DLRC) have described the most complete cattle genome yet, in a study that will lead to improvements in Wagyu breeding and result in better beef marbling.
“We have presented a near complete cattle genome that is 16 per cent longer than the current reference genome,” said Dr Lloyd Low, from the DLRC and senior author of the study published in Nature Communications.
“This new Wagyu genome provides a much more complete and accurate view of the genetic blueprint behind one of the world’s most ...
Developing a new electric vehicle sound
2025-12-02
HONOLULU, Dec. 1, 2025 — One of the many benefits of electric vehicles is that they are much quieter than traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. In some cases, though, they are too quiet. Automakers are required to design their vehicles so they emit sounds at low speeds to alert pedestrians to their presence.
However, aside from some basic regulations regarding volume, automakers are free to choose whatever noise they wish their vehicles to emit. This freedom gives researchers a unique opportunity to design custom sounds to maximize their effectiveness.
Graduate ...
Elephant seals recognize their rivals from years prior
2025-12-02
HONOLULU, Dec. 1, 2025 — How would you react if you overheard the voice of a long-lost friend or old co-worker? Chances are, just the sound of their voice will bring back memories of times you spent together. Humans are not the only animals that can remember the voices of their old acquaintances. Elephant seals, too, can remember the calls of their rivals even a year later.
Caroline Casey, research scientist and adjunct professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, will present her team’s research on elephant seal memory Monday, Dec. 1, at 2:45 p.m. HST as part of the Sixth ...
Fossils reveal anacondas have been giants for over 12 million years
2025-12-02
A University of Cambridge-led team has analysed giant anaconda fossils from South America to deduce that these tropical snakes reached their maximum size 12.4 million years ago and have remained giants ever since.
Many animal species that lived 12.4 to 5.3 million years ago, in the period known as the ‘Middle to Upper Miocene’, were much bigger than their modern relatives due to warmer global temperatures, extensive wetlands and an abundance of food.
While other Miocene giants - like the 12-metre caiman (Purussaurus) and the 3.2-metre giant freshwater turtle (Stupendemys) - have since gone extinct, anacondas (Eunectes) bucked the trend by surviving as a giant species.
Anacondas ...