Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Management of Pruritus in Patients with Cholestatic Liver Disease

Management of Pruritus in Patients with Cholestatic Liver Disease Cynthia Levy, MD G&H How frequently does pruritus occur in patients with cholestatic liver disease? Is this symptom more commonly associated with certain types of cholestatic liver disease? CL Some studies have reported pruritus in up to 70% of patients with cholestatic liver disease, although more…

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Fatigue in primary biliary cirrhosis

Fatigue in primary biliary cirrhosis Matilda Hale, patient1, Julia L Newton, professor of ageing and medicine2, David E J Jones, professor of liver immunology2 Author Affiliations Correspondence to: J L Newton Julia.Newton@newcastle.ac.uk Accepted 4 July 2012 This patient developed severe fatigue as a result of primary biliary cirrhosis in her 40s. She describes her frustration…

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Primary Biliary Cirrhosis – A MUST read!

What is PBC? Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic (long duration) disease characterized by progressive inflammation and destruction of the small bile ducts within the liver. What are the bile ducts and what do they do? Lined with cells named biliary epithelial cells, the bile ducts are tubules that make up a plumbing system…

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Primary Biliary Cirrhosis – A Good Introduction

Primary Biliary Cirrhosis Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a condition that slowly damages the bile ducts in the liver. In time, the flow of bile is restricted and bile builds up in the liver. This damages liver cells which in some cases leads to cirrhosis (scarring of the liver). Common early symptoms are itch and…

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PBC can be treated with Rituximab

PBC can be treated with Rituximab Rituximab, a monoclonal antibody, was shown to be safe in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) who had an incomplete response to the standard ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) therapy, an open-label study has revealed. Study details available in the February issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf…

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Itching with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Itching with PBC Just about as common as fatigue in PBC, itching (pruritus) of the skin affects 66% of patients at some time during the disease. The itching tends to occur early in the course of the disease, when patients still have good liver function. As a matter of fact, itching can even be the…

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Diana wants to end stigma around liver disease

Diana with PBC Many people associate the word “cirrhosis” with alcoholism. But not all forms of the condition are caused by excessive drinking, as Diana Gurr would like to point out. The 52-year-old from Beacon Heath, Exeter, suffers from primary biliary cirrhosis, a rare, chronic, liver disease, with no known cause. Cirrhosis, which means damage…

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Consortium Finds Chronic Liver Cirrhosis Clues

Consortium Finds Chronic Liver Cirrhosis Clues Researchers have provided new clues into the genetics underlying a chronic form of liver disease, called primary biliary cirrhosis, which can lead to transplant surgery for patients. The new study identifies 15 genetic regions that affect a person’s risk of developing the disease, more than trebling the number of…

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