Five Facts about Primary Biliary Cholangitis

  1. Primarily biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune disease that damages the bile ducts, leading to their degradation and destruction. Historically, it has also be referred to as primary biliary cirrhosis.1
  2. PBC predominantly occurs in women, with some data suggesting that around 90% of sufferers are women, and occurs in middle age, between 45-60 years old. In the US, approximately 65 out of every 100,000 women have PBC.2,3
  3. Early stage symptoms can include fatigue and pruritus (intense itching). If not treated, later stage symptoms include jaundice, osteoporosis, diarrhoea, internal bleeding and, potentially, liver failure.2,3
  4. PBC occurs when the immune system attacks the bile ducts, leading to increased levels of bile in the liver, causing damage. PBC is understood to be caused by both genetic factors, including family history of the disease, and environmental factors such as smoking.1,4
  5. Some treatments, such as ursodeoxycholic acid and obeticholic acid, can help to reduce the damage to the liver, while a liver transplant is the recommended treatment for later stages.4

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