Quality of life in patients with primary biliary cholangitis: A cross-geographical comparison

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 ​
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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.