Human intrahepatic biliary epithelial cells function in innate immunity by producing IL‐6 and IL‐8 via the TLR4‐NF‐κB and ‐MAPK signaling pathways

Abstract

In HIBECs, at least TLR2 and 4 are capable of mediating innate immune system function in vitro. This result, in conjunction with our recent finding that TLR4 expression is increased in biliary epithelial cells in primary biliary cirrhosis, suggests the involvement of TLRs in the development of chronic inflammatory cholangiopathies.