BACKGROUND: Ulcerative colitis (UC) with concomitant primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) represents a distinct disease entity (PSC-UC). Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES) is a standard tool for assessing disease activity in UC but its relevance in PSC-UC remains unclear. AIM: To assess the accuracy of MES in UC and PSC-UC patients, we performed histological scoring using Nancy histological index (NHI). METHODS: MES was assessed in 30 PSC-UC and 29 UC adult patients during endoscopy. NHI and inflammation were evaluated in biopsies from the cecum, rectum, and terminal ileum. In addition, perinuclear anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, fecal calprotectin, body mass index, and other relevant clinical characteristics were collected. RESULTS: The median MES and NHI were similar for UC patients (MES grade 2 and NHI grade 2 in the rectum) but were different for PSC-UC patients (MES grade 0 and NHI grade 2 in the cecum). There was a correlation between MES and NHI for UC patients (Spearman's r = 0.40, P = 0.029) but not for PSC-UC patients. Histopathological examination revealed persistent microscopic inflammation in 88% of PSC-UC patients with MES grade 0 (46% of all PSC-UC patients). Moreover, MES overestimated the severity of active inflammation in an additional 11% of PSC-UC patients. CONCLUSION: MES insufficiently identifies microscopic inflammation in PSC-UC. This indicates that histological evaluation should become a routine procedure of the diagnostic and grading system in both PSC-UC and PSC.

Clinical and Transplant Pathology Centre Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague 14021 Czech Republic

Department of Data Analysis Statistics and Artificial Intelligence Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague 14021 Czech Republic

Department of Gastroenterology Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague 14021 Czech Republic

Department of Integrative Biology Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences Prague 14220 Czech Republic

Department of Metabolism and Diabetes Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine Prague 14021 Czech Republic

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