SynthesisDigestive diseases and sciences2023
Cholestatic Pruritus Treatments in Primary Biliary Cholangitis and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: A Systematic Literature Review.
Synthesis in Digestive diseases and sciences, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Meaningful Improvement Thresholds for Pruritus and Sleep Disturbance in PBC Using the Worst Itch and Sleep Interference Numerical Rating Scales.Advances in therapy · 2026Article
- Primary Biliary Cholangitis in the Middle East: A Review of Current Challenges and Treatment Approaches.Cureus · 2026Review
- Current Treatment of Primary Biliary Cholangitis and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: A Comprehensive Review.The Turkish journal of gastroenterology : the official journal of Turkish Society of Gastroenterology · 2026Review
- Evaluation and management of primary sclerosing cholangitis patients awaiting liver transplantation.JHEP reports : innovation in hepatology · 2026Review
- Variation in microbiome and metabolites is associated with advantageous effects of cholestyramine on primary biliary cholangitis with pruritus.Microbiology spectrum · 2026Article
- The Personalized Management of Primary Biliary Cholangitis in the Era of Precision Medicine: Current Challenges and Future Perspectives.Journal of personalized medicine · 2025Review
- Assessment of PBC Pruritus From the ITCH-E Study: Quality of Life, Productivity, and Treatment Experiences.Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver · 2025Article
- Quality Measures to Enhance the Management and Treatment of Primary Biliary Cholangitis: A Delphi Consensus Study.Liver international : official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver · 2025Article
- Update on the Management of Cholestatic Pruritus.Gastroenterology & hepatology · 2025Article
- Treatment of pruritus in primary sclerosing cholangitis: Analysis of the consortium for autoimmune liver disease registry.Hepatology communications · 2025Article
- Pruritus in Chronic Cholestatic Liver Diseases, Especially in Primary Biliary Cholangitis: A Narrative Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Validation of a Primary Biliary Cholangitis-Specific Version of Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire: CLDQ-PBC.Clinical and translational gastroenterology · 2024Article
- Overview of Pruritus Management in Patients With Chronic Liver Disease.Gastroenterology & hepatology · 2024Article
- Progress in the Management of Patients with Cholestatic Liver Disease: Where Are We and Where Are We Going?Journal of clinical and translational hepatology · 2024Review
- Pruritus in primary biliary cholangitis is under-recorded in patient medical records.BMJ open gastroenterology · 2024Article
- Managing pruritus in chronic liver disease: An in-depth narrative review.Clinical liver diseaseReview
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
aimsWe conducted a systematic literature review to understand the evidence supporting treatment decisions for cholestatic pruritus associated with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).
methodsStudies that enrolled ≥ 75% participants with PBC or PSC and reported ≥ 1 endpoint(s) related to efficacy, safety, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) or other patient-reported outcomes were included. Bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and the Quality of Cohort studies tool for non-RCTs.
resultsThirty-nine publications were identified, covering 42 studies and six treatment classes (including investigational and approved products): anion-exchange resins, antibiotics (rifampicin/derivatives), opiates, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, fibrates, ileal bile acid transporter inhibitors and other agents not categorised in these six classes. Across studies, median sample size was small (n = 18), 20 studies were over 20 years old, 25 followed patients for ≤ 6 weeks, only 25 were RCTs. Pruritus was assessed using several different tools, with inconsistencies in their application. Cholestyramine, considered first-line therapy for moderate-severe cholestatic pruritus, was assessed in six studies (two RCTs) including 56 patients with PBC and 2 with PSC, with evidence of efficacy demonstrated in only three studies, among which, two RCTs were assessed as having a high risk of bias. Findings were similar for other drug classes.
conclusionsThere is a lack of consistent and reproducible evidence available on efficacy, impact on HRQoL, and safety of cholestatic pruritus treatments, leaving physicians to rely on clinical experience rather than evidence-based medicine for treatment selection.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.