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| Role of gut microbiota in primary biliary cholangitis |
| Wu-Meng Jin, Si-Yue Song, Xiao-Fen Xu, Cheng-Ping Wen, Chang-Feng Hu ∗ |
College of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
∗ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: zhudianzhuifeng@163.com (C.-F. Hu). |
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Abstract Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC, formerly known as primary biliary cirrhosis) is a chronic female-predominant inflammatory and cholestatic liver disease with a prolonged course and poor prognosis [1]. It is characterized by anti-mitochondrial autoantibody (AMA), immunoglobulin M and lymphocyte infiltration in the portal area of liver tissue. A recent systemic review has shown a steady rise both in incidence and prevalence of PBC, with 5.31/100000 persons and 40.2/100000 persons, respectively [2]. It can cause fatigue, pruritus and is associated with a high risk of cirrhosis and liver failure if left untreated [3]. The pathogenesis of PBC may be related to genetic, environmental, immune factors and individual susceptibility, but the specific etiology is not clear. Several previous studies [4,5] have found that gut microbiota plays an important role in a variety of liver diseases, including PBC. The bidirectional crosstalk between liver and microbiome appears to be crucial in maintaining health and could be therapeutically targeted, such as by fecal microbiota transplantation.
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2022, Vol. 21 
