Significance of estrogen on biliary epithelial cells in the pathogenesis of primary biliary cirrhosis

原发性胆汁性肝硬变以中老年女性为主，以小叶间胆管损害为主。雌激素被认为在原发性胆汁性肝硬变的发病机制中起重要作用，因为已知胆管上皮细胞表达雌激素受体。在原发性胆汁性肝硬变中，绝经引起的雌激素效应降低以及胆管上皮细胞雌激素相关受体的竞争性抑制作用与胆汁性疾病的发生有关。

Primary biliary cirrhosis mainly affects middle- and old-aged females, and the interlobular bile ducts are primarily damaged. Estrogen has been speculated to play important roles in the pathogenesis of primary biliary cirrhosis, since biliary epithelial cells are known to express estrogen receptors. In primary biliary cirrhosis, the decreased estrogen effects caused by menopause and also the competitive inhibitory effect of estrogen-related receptors in biliary epithelial cells are associated with the pathogenesis of cholanigopathy.