About Dr. Ma Xiong
Dr. Ma Xiong (马雄) is Chief Physician, Professor, and Director of the Division of Autoimmune Liver Disease at the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine — one of China's premier academic medical centers and the national leader in liver disease research and clinical care. He is China's foremost authority on autoimmune liver diseases, including autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and is internationally recognized as a leading expert in this subspecialty.
Dr. Ma has dedicated his career to the diagnosis and management of autoimmune liver conditions — a group of diseases that are frequently misdiagnosed or undertreated in many healthcare systems due to their rarity and complexity. His clinical program at Renji Hospital manages one of the largest cohorts of autoimmune liver disease patients in Asia, and his research has directly shaped international clinical guidelines for AIH and PBC. He is a member of the guideline committees of both the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) and the Chinese Society of Hepatology, and his work is cited extensively in global hepatology literature.
Hospital Affiliation
Renji Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine is one of China's top-ranked general hospitals and a national center of excellence in gastroenterology, hepatology, and liver transplantation. The Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Renji is consistently ranked among China's best, with particular strength in inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune liver disease, advanced endoscopy, and liver transplantation. The department operates a dedicated Autoimmune Liver Disease Clinic — one of only a handful of such specialized clinics in China — providing multidisciplinary care for patients with AIH, PBC, PSC, and overlap syndromes.
Renji Hospital's hepatology program is deeply integrated with its world-class liver transplantation center led by Professor Xia Qiang, providing seamless escalation pathways for patients with autoimmune liver disease who progress to end-stage liver failure and require transplantation evaluation.
Clinical Expertise
- Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) — diagnosis and staging; immunosuppressive therapy (corticosteroids, azathioprine, mycophenolate mofetil); treatment-refractory AIH; acute severe AIH; AIH in special populations (elderly, pediatric, pregnancy)
- Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) — early diagnosis; ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) therapy; second-line therapy (obeticholic acid, fibrates); PBC with cirrhosis; liver transplant evaluation for PBC
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) — diagnosis and surveillance; management of dominant strictures; PSC-IBD overlap; cholangiocarcinoma surveillance; transplant evaluation
- Overlap syndromes — AIH-PBC overlap; AIH-PSC overlap; diagnosis and individualized treatment strategies
- Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) — diagnosis and differentiation from autoimmune hepatitis; causality assessment; management
- Liver fibrosis assessment — non-invasive fibrosis staging (FibroScan, serum markers); liver biopsy interpretation; monitoring of disease progression
- Liver transplant evaluation — assessment for transplant candidacy in end-stage autoimmune liver disease; post-transplant recurrence management
Academic & Research Contributions
Dr. Ma Xiong is one of the most prolific and internationally cited hepatologists in China, with an extensive publication record in leading gastroenterology and hepatology journals including Journal of Hepatology, Hepatology, Gut, and Gastroenterology. His research has fundamentally advanced the understanding of the genetic basis, immunopathogenesis, and optimal treatment strategies for autoimmune liver diseases in Asian populations — a critically important contribution given that the clinical presentation and treatment response of AIH and PBC in Chinese patients differs in important ways from Western cohorts.
He serves on the guideline committees of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) and the Chinese Society of Hepatology, contributing to the development of international and national clinical practice guidelines for AIH and PBC. He is a frequent invited speaker at major international hepatology conferences including EASL, AASLD, and APASL, and leads multiple national research programs on autoimmune liver disease funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
Why International Patients Choose Dr. Ma Xiong
Autoimmune liver diseases — particularly AIH, PBC, and PSC — are complex, lifelong conditions that require expert subspecialty management. Many international patients with these diagnoses find that access to true autoimmune hepatology expertise is limited in their home countries, where these conditions may be managed by general gastroenterologists or hepatologists without dedicated subspecialty training. Dr. Ma's clinic at Renji Hospital offers a level of autoimmune liver disease expertise that is genuinely world-class, with direct access to the physician who has shaped international guidelines in this field.
International patients commonly seek Dr. Ma's expertise for second opinions on diagnosis and treatment strategy, optimization of immunosuppressive regimens in treatment-refractory cases, management of PBC with inadequate UDCA response, and evaluation for liver transplantation. His clinic's experience with the largest autoimmune liver disease cohort in Asia also means that rare presentations and complex overlap syndromes — which may be diagnostically challenging elsewhere — are managed with confidence and precision.
Consultation and follow-up costs at Renji Hospital are substantially lower than equivalent subspecialty hepatology care in Western healthcare systems, with no compromise in diagnostic sophistication or treatment expertise.
What to Expect at Your Consultation
Consultations with Dr. Ma begin with a comprehensive hepatological assessment including review of prior liver function tests, autoimmune serology (ANA, ASMA, AMA, LKM-1, SLA/LP), liver biopsy reports, imaging studies, and prior treatment history. CMCS will arrange certified translation of all prior medical records in advance of the appointment. Dr. Ma will provide a definitive diagnostic assessment, review the adequacy of current treatment, and outline an optimized management plan with clear monitoring parameters. For patients being evaluated for liver transplantation, Dr. Ma will coordinate directly with Renji's transplant team. A written English-language consultation summary is provided after every appointment.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have been diagnosed with PBC but am not responding adequately to UDCA — what are my options?
Approximately 30–40% of PBC patients have an inadequate biochemical response to UDCA and are at higher risk of disease progression. Dr. Ma's clinic has extensive experience with second-line therapies including obeticholic acid and fibrates (bezafibrate, fenofibrate), and will assess your response profile and recommend the most appropriate escalation strategy based on current international guidelines.
My AIH has been difficult to control on standard immunosuppression — can Dr. Ma help?
Treatment-refractory AIH is one of Dr. Ma's core clinical interests. He has extensive experience with alternative immunosuppressive agents including mycophenolate mofetil, tacrolimus, and cyclosporine in patients who fail or are intolerant of standard azathioprine-based therapy, and will review your case in detail to optimize your treatment regimen.
Do I need a liver biopsy before my consultation?
A liver biopsy is not always required before consultation. Dr. Ma will review your existing investigations and determine whether biopsy is indicated based on your clinical picture. If biopsy is recommended, CMCS can coordinate this at Renji Hospital during your visit.
Book a Consultation Through CMCS
China Medical Concierge Shanghai (CMCS) provides end-to-end support for international patients seeking autoimmune liver disease care with Dr. Ma Xiong at Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, including priority appointment scheduling, certified medical translation, pre-consultation record review, liver biopsy coordination if required, and written English consultation summary. Contact us at contact@medicalsh.com, or visit medicalsh.com.
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