Gender and primary biliary cirrhosis: is microchimerism an aetiological factor?

摘要

From the earliest descriptions of the disease1 to recent epidemiological studies it has been clear that primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a condition which predominantly affects women2'3. In this review the impact of gender on our understanding of PBC will be discussed in terms of the clues with which the gender predominance might provide us regarding the pathogenesis of disease, touching on the practical issues faced in the clinical management of male and female patients.