BACKGROUND
Previous studies have implicated the co-existence of psychological disorders and primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). However, the exact magnitude of the prevalence and related score of depression and anxiety in patients with PBC are still unclear.
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to assess the prevalence and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores for depression and anxiety in patients with PBC.
METHODS
A comprehensive search of studies published before June 10, 2020 was performed in databases of PUBMED, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science. Methodological quality was assessed based on the Newcastle - Ottawa Scale (NOS) tool.
RESULTS
Twelve studies were identified, representing 933 patients with PBC. Pooled prevalence estimates were 27.59% (95% CI 16.75%-38.43%) for depression and 19.87% (95% CI 14.12%-25.62%) for anxiety. The scores of HADS-D and HADS-A were 5.60 (95% CI 4.67-6.52) and 6.56 (95% CI 4.89-8.23) among PBC suffers, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
This systematic review and meta-analysis indicates that depression and anxiety are prevalent in PBC patients. Physicians should be vigilant for psychiatric symptoms among PBC suffers and provide appropriate interventions for them. Exploration of underlying mechanisms and interactions in the future investigations is warranted.
Comment on “Early Prognostic Utility of Gp210 Antibody-Positive Rate in Primary Biliary Cholangitis: A Meta-Analysis”
