Altered biliary epithelial cell and monocyte responses to lipopolysaccharide as a TLR ligand in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis

Abstract

These results indicated that patients with PBC were prone to exhibit higher serum LPS level, hypersensitivity of monocytes and BEC to LPS, and enhanced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. LPS altered expression of TLR4, CD14 and NF-κB on monocytes and BEC, which may be implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of PBC.