title: Cellular immune response in primary biliary cirrhosis.
abstract: The generation of immune responsiveness to self-antigen can result in the pathogenic autoimmune damage of tissues mediated by both humoral and cellular immune responses. Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) constitutes a model of autoimmune disease reflective of other organ-specific autoimmune feature. Although the etiology of PBC remained elusive, growing data suggest the role of cell-mediated immune response in the pathogenesis of PBC. Indeed, autoreactive CD4 as well as CD8 T cells have been characterized and their epitopes defined. Molecular mimicry is implicated in the initiation of these autoreactive T cell responses. Moreover, selective enrichment of NKT cells in the liver of PBC is demonstrated using CD1d tetramer.In this review, we shall focus on the recent advance of cell-mediated immune responses in PBC, which may be directly associated with inflammatory response in PBC.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Jichi Medical School, Yakushiji, Kawachi, 329-0438, Tochigi, Japan
authors.forename: Hiroto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imawari
authors.forename: M Eric
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gershwin