Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is inflammation with progressive scarring of the bile ducts in the liver. Eventually, the ducts are blocked, the liver becomes scarred, and cirrhosis and liver failure develop.
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) probably results from an autoimmune reaction.
This disorder commonly causes itchiness, fatigue, dry mouth and eyes, and jaundice, but some people have no symptoms.
A blood test to measure certain antibodies can usually confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment includes relieving symptoms, slowing liver damage, and treating complications.
(See also Cirrhosis of the Liver.)
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is most common among women aged 35 to 70, although it can occur in men and women of any age. It tends to occur in families.
The liver produces bile, a greenish yellow, thick, sticky fluid that aids digestion. Bile also helps eliminate certain waste products (mainly bilirubin and excess cholesterol) and by-products of drugs from the body. Bile ducts are small tubes that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder and then to the small intestine. Primary biliary cholangitis affects only the small bile ducts inside the liver and the liver cells near these bile ducts. Another inflammatory bile duct disorder, primary sclerosing cholangitis, affects bile ducts inside and outside the liver.
Primary biliary cholangitis begins with inflammation of the bile ducts. The inflammation blocks the flow of bile out of the liver. Thus, bile remains in the liver cells, causing inflammation. If damage from the inflammation is mild, the liver commonly repairs itself by making new liver cells and attaching them to the web of connective tissue (internal structure) that is left when liver cells die. As inflammation spreads, a latticework of scar tissue (fibrosis) develops throughout the liver. The scar tissue performs no function, and it can distort the liver's internal structure. When the scarring and distortion become widespread, cirrhosis develops.
Causes of PBC
The cause is not clear but is probably an autoimmune reaction (in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues). Primary biliary cholangitis often occurs in people with other autoimmune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, Sjögren syndrome, or autoimmune thyroiditis.
An autoimmune cause is also thought possible because more than 95% of people with PBC have certain abnormal antibodies in their blood. These antibodies attack mitochondria (tiny structures that produce energy in cells). However, these antibodies are not involved in the destruction of the bile ducts. Other immune cells attack the bile ducts. What triggers this attack is unknown, but it may be exposure to a virus or a toxic substance.
Symptoms of PBC
Usually, PBC starts very gradually. About half of people have no symptoms at first.
The first symptoms often include
Itchiness
Fatigue
Dry mouth and eyes
Other problems may not occur until months or years later:
The skin may become dark or nerves may be damaged (called neuropathy).
People may feel discomfort in the upper abdomen.
Fat sometimes accumulates in small yellow bumps in the skin (xanthoma) or eyelids (xanthelasma).
Jaundice (yellowish discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes) may develop.
Fluid can accumulate within the abdomen (called ascites) or in other parts of the body, such as the ankles and feet (called edema).
Eventually, any of the symptoms and complications of cirrhosis can develop. Fats, including fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), are often poorly absorbed. Poor absorption of vitamin D results in osteoporosis, and poor absorption of vitamin K contributes to easy bruising and bleeding. If the body cannot absorb fats, stools may be light-colored, soft, bulky, oily-looking, and unusually foul-smelling (called steatorrhea).
The liver and spleen may enlarge. But as scarring progresses, the liver shrinks.
Diagnosis of PBC
Abnormal liver tests
Antibodies to mitochondria
Imaging tests
Biopsy
A doctor may suspect this disorder in middle-aged women who have typical symptoms such as fatigue and itchiness. However, in many people, the disorder is discovered long before symptoms appear because routine blood tests to evaluate the liver are abnormal.
During the physical examination, the doctor may feel an enlarged, firm liver (in about 25% of people) or an enlarged spleen (in about 15%).
If PBC is suspected, doctors do liver tests, imaging tests, and blood tests to check for antibodies to mitochondria.
Imaging tests are done to check for abnormalities or blockages in bile ducts outside the liver. These tests include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the bile duct system (called magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, or MRCP) and often ultrasonography. If results of these tests are not clear, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) may be done. For this procedure, an x-ray is taken after a substance that can be seen on x-rays (contrast agent) is injected through a viewing tube (endoscope) inserted through the mouth and a catheter inserted into the bile ducts. Finding no blockages outside the liver means that the liver is the site of the problem and thus supports the diagnosis of PBC.
A liver biopsy (removal of a tissue sample for examination under a microscope) is usually done to confirm the diagnosis. Biopsy also helps doctors determine how advanced the disorder is (the stage).
Treatment of PBC
There is no known cure. Treatment includes
Medications to relieve symptoms, primarily itching
Ursodeoxycholic acid to slow the progression of liver damage
Treatment of complications
Eventually liver transplantation
No alcohol should be consumed. Medications that may damage the liver are stopped.
cirrhosis, because it can worsen liver function. A fibrate such as bezafibrate may also be used.
Liver transplantation is the best treatment when the disorder is advanced. It can prolong life. After transplantation, PBC recurs in some people, but it rarely becomes severe.
Prognosis for PBC
Primary biliary cholangitis usually progresses slowly, although how fast it progresses varies greatly. Symptoms may not appear for 2 years or for up to 10 to 15 years. Some people become very ill in 3 to 5 years. Once symptoms develop, life expectancy is about 10 years. Certain characteristics suggest that the disorder will progress quickly:
Rapidly worsening symptoms
Older age
Accumulation of fluid and other symptoms of cirrhosis
Presence of an autoimmune disorder, such as rheumatoid arthritis
Certain abnormal liver test results
Once jaundice develops, death may occur within months.
More Information
The following English-language resources may be useful. Please note that THE MANUAL is not responsible for the content of these resources.
American Liver Foundation: Provides answers to common questions about liver transplantation as well as a link to the foundation's Living Donor Liver Transplantation Information Center
organdonor.gov: A Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) site that explains everything from how organ donation works to how to become an organ donor
Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN): A partnership between public and private agencies that educates patients and links all U.S. professionals involved in organ donation and transplantation
UNOS Transplant Living: Consumer-friendly information on living with a donated organ for all populations, including children
United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS): Provides a vital link to information and resources throughout the organ-transplant process
Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SPTR): Another HRSA resource, SRTR analyzes transplantation-related data and disseminates it through this web site as well as OPTN
