Primary biliary cirrhosis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune cells of the body attack the epithelial cells lining the bile ducts in the liver. T cells--a specific type of white blood cell--accumulate in the bile ducts, causing inflammation. Chronic inflammation damages and destroys the cells of the liver, leading to the buildup of scar tissue, a condition known as cirrhosis. Primary biliary cirrhosis cannot be cured, but several treatments can slow the progress of the disease, relieve symptoms and prevent further complications.
Lifestyle Changes
The liver filters all the blood leaving the stomach and intestines. It helps break down nutrients and medications in the blood while also regulating chemical levels and removing waste products. In fact, at any one time the liver holds approximately 13 percent of the body's blood supply, according to the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford.
All food and alcohol ingested affect the liver. Patients with liver disease, including primary biliary cirrhosis, require a well-rounded, healthy diet free of food such as shellfish that may introduce bacteria into the system. Alcohol and illegal drugs should be avoided, as these can accelerate the damage to the liver.
Ursodeoxycholic Acid
Treating primary biliary cirrhosis in the early stages can help slow the progression of the disease, notes the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. The inflammation of the small bile ducts caused by primary biliary cirrhosis interferes with the flow of bile, a substance necessary for the breakdown of fats. This leads to a buildup of bile in the liver, resulting in damage to liver cells.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved one medication for treating primary biliary cirrhosis. Ursodeoxycholic acid, also called ursodiol, helps the liver move bile through the bile ducts. This improves liver function, which can delay the need for a liver transplant.
Other Medications
Inflammation in the bile ducts and the buildup of bile in the liver can increase blood pressure within the portal vein, the blood vessel carrying nutrient-rich blood from the intestines. A class of medications known as beta blockers, including propanolol, can treat portal hypertension.
The onset of primary biliary cirrhosis requires an environmental trigger. The most common trigger, notes MayoClinic.com, is an infection, such as a urinary tract infection. Antibiotics can help treat infection that may contribute to the inflammation.
Liver Transplant
Once the buildup of scar tissue in the liver becomes severe enough to inhibit normal liver function, the best remaining treatment is a liver transplant.
