Published in:
Open Access
01-06-2017 | Autoimmune, Cholestatic, and Biliary Diseases (S Gordon and C Bowlus, Section Editors)
Why Doesn’t Primary Biliary Cholangitis Respond to Immunosuppressive Medications?
Authors:
Antonio Molinaro, Hanns-Ulrich Marschall
Published in:
Current Hepatology Reports
|
Issue 2/2017
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Abstract
Purpose of Review
The purpose of this review is to discuss reasons why immunosuppressive therapy so far failed in Primary Biliry Cholangitis.
Recent Findings
Even targeted immunosuppressive therapy seems ineffective or potentially harmful.
Summary
Bile acid-mediated cholangiocyte damage, facilitated by insufficient bicarbonate secretion, seems to attenuate the anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic actions of immunosuppressant and immunomodulatory drugs in a clinically significant way.