What is the cause of PBC?
The cause of PBC remains unclear. Current information suggests the cause may involve autoimmunity, infection, or genetic (hereditary) predisposition, acting either alone or in some combination. A complete understanding of the cause of PBC will require two types of information. One, referred to as the etiology, is identification of the initiating (triggering) events. The other, referred to as the pathogenesis, is a discovery of the ways (mechanisms) by which the triggering events lead to the inflammatory destruction of bile ducts and hepatocytes. Unfortunately, neither the etiology nor the pathogenesis of PBC has yet been defined.
