Causes, Risk Factors, And Complications Of Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Bacterial/Fungal/Parasitic Infections

Bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections may play a small part in primary biliary cholangitis. Chronic infections can cause the immune system to function at a lower or distorted level allowing it to mistake the body’s cells for disease-causing microbes. The immune system uses T-cells to fight off fungal and some bacterial infections. Individuals with primary biliary cholangitis have abnormally low T-cell counts circulating throughout the body. It can also be noted many patients have elevated antibodies for certain viruses. These antibodies, left behind from prior infections, may be mistakenly identifying liver cells as infectious agents. This is most likely due to similar protein receptors on both cells. Further studies are required, because researchers still do not have a definitive answer as to what causes primary biliary cholangitis.

Get the full details on complications of primary biliary cholangitis next.