title: Environmental agents involved in the cause of primary biliary cirrhosis.
abstract: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is an immune mediated chronic cholestatic liver disease with a slowly progressive course It is a universal disease with a reported latitudinal gradient in prevalence and incidence. The aetiology of primary biliary cirrhosis is still unknown. It is characterized by a 60% concordance in monozygotic twins and is considered an autoimmune disease because of several features common to other autoimmune conditions and the relatively homogeneous serological and biochemical features. However geoepidemiological and clinical studies strongly imply that environmental factors also play an important role. It is accepted that the disease is clearly the result of a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Several risk factors have been suggested to be associated with PBC, including exposure to infectious agents and chemical xenobiotics. This review will attempt to place such factors in perspective.
authors.affiliation: Professor of Gastroenterology, University of Crete Medical School, Head, Department Of Gastroenterology, University Hospital, PO Box 1352, 71100 Heraklion, Crete, Greece. kouroum@meduocgr
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kouroumalis
mesh_terms: D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications; D006202:Hair Dyes / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated / Q000009:adverse effects; D008019:Life Style; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000209:etiology*; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000209:etiology; D017584:Reproductive History; D012192:Retroviridae Infections / Q000150:complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D015262:Xenobiotics / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006202:Hair Dyes; D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated; D015262:Xenobiotics