Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC)
Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) is a rare autoimmune liver disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of the bile ducts.
Usually, certain types of white blood cells called lymphocytes find and attack microbes or other foreign substances. In PBC, lymphocytes mistakenly target the healthy cells lining the small and medium-sized bile ducts in the liver.
The bile ducts in the liver are gradually damaged and destroyed, leading to a buildup of bile in the liver. This accumulation is called cholestasis.
Bile leakage, inflammation, and other immune system activity cause damage and scarring of the liver tissue. This scarring, called fibrosis, leads to a deterioration of liver function. Eventually, fibrosis can lead to severe, permanent scarring called cirrhosis.
Causes of Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC):
It is unclear what triggers this autoimmune disease. Studies show several potential triggers that may lead to PBC in people with a genetic risk for the disease:
- Urinary tract or digestive tract infections.
- Cigarette smoking.
- Chemicals, including chemicals in some cosmetic products.
- Environmental pollution.
Associated conditions:
People with Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) often have another autoimmune disease. These may include:
- Thyroid disease.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Sjögren's syndrome, which causes dry eyes and mouth.
- Inflammatory bowel disease.
Risk factors:
- Sex. Most people with this disease are women.
- Age. The disease most often affects middle-aged and older adults.
- Genetics. You are more prone to the disease if you have a family member who has or has had it.
- Geography. The disease is more common in populations in North America and Northern Europe.
Complications:
- Primary biliary cirrhosis. The end stage of PBC is the transformation into primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC).
- Liver cancer. PBC increases the risk of liver cancer, especially in people with cirrhosis.
- Osteoporosis. People with PBC may experience thinning and weakening of the bones. This is called osteoporosis. Bones are brittle and can break easily.
- Vitamin deficiency. Bile helps the intestines absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K. With impaired bile excretion, hypovitaminosis may occur over time.
- High cholesterol levels. Up to 80% of people with PBC have high cholesterol levels.
Symptoms of Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC):
More than 50% of people with primary biliary cholangitis have no symptoms at the time of diagnosis. But symptoms appear as the disease progresses.
Symptoms often include:
- Fatigue.
- Skin itching (pruritus).
- Dry eyes and mouth.
- Difficulties with memory and concentration.
Other signs and symptoms may include:
- Pain in the upper right part of the abdomen.
- Fatty deposits, called xanthomas, on the skin around the eyes or in the folds of the joints.
- Yellowing of the whites of the eyes or skin, called jaundice.
- Darkening of the skin, unrelated to sun exposure.
- Steatorrhea (undigested fat in the stool).
When to see a doctor?
Schedule an appointment with a doctor if you have severe, persistent itching over most of your body without an obvious cause. Also, see a doctor if you constantly feel severe fatigue, regardless of how much you rest.
Diagnosis of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis in "Oberig" Clinic
The diagnosis is confirmed based on laboratory and instrumental examinations:
- Ultrasound examination of the liver with Doppler sonography of blood vessels and elastography (non-invasive measurement of liver stiffness to determine the degree of fibrosis) — examinations are performed on expert-class ultrasound system ACUSON Sequoia from SIEMENS.
- Computed tomography (CT) (including with contrast enhancement) — examinations are performed on a modern 128-slice CT scanner from SIEMENS.
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - the clinic is equipped with the latest Vida 3 Tesla MRI scanner and is a reference center for Siemens AG in Ukraine.
- Esophagogastroduodenoscopy — is performed to assess the presence and degree of varicose veins of the esophagus and stomach - on FUJI and Olympus equipment with artificial intelligence. "Oberig" Clinic is a leader in the implementation of the latest technologies in endoscopy.
- For histological verification of the diagnosis - ultrasound-guided biopsy performed by an expert in interventional radiology Y. E. Chirkov (as indicated).
- Laboratory tests (list according to the doctor's recommendations) in our own certified laboratory.
Treatment of Primary Biliary Cholangitis in "Oberig" Clinic
Treatment is mostly symptomatic, aimed at improving the patient's quality of life and condition.
In the terminal stage of the disease, when medications lose effectiveness and decompensated cirrhosis forms, the only method to save the patient's life is liver transplantation.
Why choose "Oberig" for the treatment of Primary Biliary Cholangitis?
- Treatment effectiveness: comparable to the best world transplant centers, patient survival after transplantation is over 85%.
- National leadership in the field of liver transplantation from a living related donor: as of 1.03.2026, 212 liver transplantations have been performed for adults and children, 205 of which were from a living related donor.
- Treatment accessibility: free transplantation for patients under the agreement with the National Health Service of Ukraine (NHSU).
- Full-cycle clinic: the entire necessary complex of diagnostic services (MRI, CT, ultrasound, pathohistology) and treatment, which includes liver transplantation, is available in one clinic.
- Patient safety: ensuring infectious monitoring at all stages of treatment.
Sign up for a consultation with Oberig Clinic doctors
Online consultation appointment: https://my.oberig.ua/ua/appointment/ or call +38 044 521 30 03
