Our data highlight the importance of Gal-3 in promotion of inflammation in <i>N. aromaticivorans</i> induced PBC by enhancing the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and production of IL-1β and indicate Gal-3 as possible therapeutical target in autoimmune cholangitis.
Several IL-17-positive cells had infiltrated damaged bile ducts and the expression of IL-6 and IL-1 beta was enhanced in the bile ducts of PBC patients.
The expression of cytokine mRNA species was determined in liver biopsies from six normal subjects, 18 patients with PBC and 14 patients with hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive CHB using a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. cDNA, obtained by reverse transcription using oligo d(T) primers, was amplified by PCR using primers specific for the coding region of seven different cytokines (IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)).
IL-1 beta and interferon gamma mRNA showed increased expression in cirrhotics with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis compared with those with primary biliary cirrhosis.