Are infectious agents involved in primary biliary cirrhosis?
Although bacterial infection, particularly with intracellular organisms, has been suggested to play a role in the initiation of primary biliary cirrhosis, there is no evidence from this study to suggest an ongoing chronic infectious process.
In vitro MPA treatment suppressed expression of CD40 and CD80 by human primary DCs responding to Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) agonist stimulation (i.e. DC activation). Moreover, this MPA-mediated decrease in CD40 expression impaired DC capacity to stimulate T cell proliferation (i.e. DC function).