Research advances in cytokines associated with primary biliary cholangitis / 临床肝胆病杂志

ABSTRACT

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune liver disease characterized by nonsuppurative inflammation of the small- and medium-sized bile ducts in the liver. The pathogenesis of PBC remains unclear, and immunoregulation may play a critical role. As the important components of the immune system, cytokines may be involved in the pathogenesis of PBC. This article reviews related research advances in recent years, including the roles of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-12, interleukin-17, interleukin-9, interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6), the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10, and their signaling pathways in PBC, so as to deepen the understanding of the pathogenesis of PBC and explore new treatment methods.