Bile acid receptor agonists in primary biliary cholangitis: Regulation of the cholangiocyte secretome and downstream T cell differentiation.

ABSTRACT: Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic autoimmune liver disease. Approximately 30% of patients do not respond to therapy with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). Previous studies have implicated increased senescence of cholangiocytes in patients who do not respond to UDCA. This may increase the release of cytokines which drive pathogenic T cell polarization. As FXR agonists are beneficial in treating UDCA non-responsive patients, the current study was designed to model the interactions between cholangiocytes and CD4+ T cells to investigate potential immunomodulatory mechanisms of bile acid receptor agonists. Human cholangiocytes were co-cultured with CD4+ T cells to model the biliary stress response. Senescent cholangiocytes were able to polarize T cells toward a Th17 phenotype and suppre

SUBMITTER: Etherington RE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6996327 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature