Carlo Selmi1, M Eric Gershwin. 1. Division of Rheumatology, Allergy, and Clinical Immunology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California 95616, USA.
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Primary biliary cirrhosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intrahepatic bile ducts that eventually leads to liver cirrhosis and organ failure, in which several observations suggest an autoimmune origin. Similarly to other autoimmune diseases, microbial mediated molecular mimicry is the most widely studied trigger that may break immunologic tolerance in primary biliary cirrhosis. RECENT FINDINGS: The hypothesis of a bacterial role in the cause of primary biliary cirrhosis has received recent attention, based on in vitro data and the identification of a unique xenobiotic-metabolizing bacterium that modulates naturally occurring environmental estrogens, namely, Novosphingobium aromaticivorans. SUMMARY: The evidence indicates that bacteria, through different mechanisms, may precipitate autoimmunity in primary biliary cirrhosis and other autoimmune diseases. These data have several implications.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Primary biliary cirrhosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the intrahepatic bile ducts that eventually leads to liver cirrhosis and organ failure, in which several observations suggest an autoimmune origin. Similarly to other autoimmune diseases, microbial mediated molecular mimicry is the most widely studied trigger that may break immunologic tolerance in primary biliary cirrhosis. RECENT FINDINGS: The hypothesis of a bacterial role in the cause of primary biliary cirrhosis has received recent attention, based on in vitro data and the identification of a unique xenobiotic-metabolizing bacterium that modulates naturally occurring environmental estrogens, namely, Novosphingobium aromaticivorans. SUMMARY: The evidence indicates that bacteria, through different mechanisms, may precipitate autoimmunity in primary biliary cirrhosis and other autoimmune diseases. These data have several implications.
Authors: Mohamed-Ridha Barbouche; Qubo Chen; Marco Carbone; Imen Ben-Mustapha; Zakera Shums; Mehdi Trifa; Federica Malinverno; Francesca Bernuzzi; Haiyan Zhang; Nourhen Agrebi; Gary L Norman; Christopher Chang; M Eric Gershwin; Pietro Invernizzi Journal: Cell Mol Immunol Date: 2018-02-05 Impact factor: 11.530
Authors: M Eric Gershwin; Carlo Selmi; Howard J Worman; Ellen B Gold; Mitchell Watnik; Jessica Utts; Keith D Lindor; Marshall M Kaplan; John M Vierling Journal: Hepatology Date: 2005-11 Impact factor: 17.425
Authors: Y M Ambrosini; G-X Yang; W Zhang; M Tsuda; S Shu; K Tsuneyama; P S C Leung; A A Ansari; R L Coppel; M E Gershwin Journal: Clin Exp Immunol Date: 2011-10 Impact factor: 4.330