Biliary bile acids in hepatobiliary injury - What is the link?

Abstract

The main trigger for liver injury in acquired cholestatic liver disease remains unclear. However, the accumulation of bile acids (BAs) undoubtedly plays a role. Recent progress in deciphering the pathomechanisms of inborn cholestatic liver diseases, decoding mechanisms of BA-induced cell death, and generating modern BA-derived drugs has improved the understanding of the regulation of BA synthesis and transport. Now is the appropriate time to reassess current knowledge about the specific role of BAs in hepatobiliary injury.

Keywords: Bile canaliculus; Bile ducts; Bile secretion; Cholangiopathies; Cholangitis; Primary biliary cholangitis; Primary sclerosing cholangitis.