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Takayasu arteritis and primary sclerosing cholangitis are two rare disorders. The pathogenesis of Takayasu arteritis involves immune-mediated mechanisms, and corticosteroids represent the mainstay for treatment. Conversely, the aetiology of primary sclerosing cholangitis remains elusive, even if dysimmunity seems to be one of the contributors to bile duct damage. Despite this, immunosuppressants do not alter disease course. In this paper we describe the association of these two rare disorders, with an unexpected normalization of cholestatic enzymes following steroid treatment. This might hint a novel subtype of sclerosing cholangitis with a prevalent immunebackground, or a local manifestation of Takayasu arteritis., Highlights • Unusual association of two rare entities: PSC (supported by the presence of IBD) and TA. • Onset of Takayasu after PSC diagnosis. • Lack of response to UDCA and fibrates. • Improvement of liver function tests after steroid treatment. • No changes on biliary tree reported on MRCP.

Background & aims Several symptoms impair the quality of life (QoL) of patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). They are reported to vary significantly in different countries. Aim of our study was to explore whether there is a geographical clustering that accounts for symptoms in PBC. Methods Data was analysed from four cohorts of PBC patients from the UK, Spain, Japan and Italy using the PBC-27 scale. Results Overall, 569 patients from four cohorts were identified, including 515 females (90.5%) with a mean age of 61 years. The analysis provided evidence for strict factorial invariance of the scale, a robust indicator of its validity for cross-cultural research. The mean of the fatigue domain of British patients was significantly greater than that of the Japanese (p ​, Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) is a rare liver disease characterised by several symptoms that impair quality of life; • This study includes data from questionnaires provided to individuals with PBC in Italy, Japan, Spain and United Kingdom; • It shows a clear geographical pattern of distribution of PBC-related symptoms, with a significant difference based on latitude.