Sex Differences Associated with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Table 1

Features of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) in men and women. Although PBC in men and women is largely similar, certain clinical features such as symptomatology and concomitant diseases differ between the sexes. Very little difference is noted in regards to histological or biochemical features, as well as antimitochondrial antibody (AMA) reactivity.

Feature	Comment
Age	(i) Men older than women
Histopathology	(i) Largely no difference observed; (ii) More stage I in women than in men in one study; (iii) One study notes more piecemeal necrosis and pseudoxanthomatous transformation in symptomatic females, and more stainable copper storage in symptomatic males
Symptomatology	(i) Abdominal pain, constitutional symptoms, and pruritus as a single symptom more common in females; (ii) Jaundice as a single symptom more common in males
Biochemistry	(i) Slightly increased ALP in males versus females in one study; higher 𝛾-GT and ALT in men than in women in another
Concomitant autoimmune or other diseases	(i) More females experienced Sicca symptoms, scleroderma, and Raynauds; (ii) Increased incidence of hepatoma in males
AMA reactivity	(i) Similar antigenic reactivity patterns in males and females among studies
ANA reactivity	(i) Anticentromere antibodies more prevalent in women than in men in one study