Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), formerly known as primary biliary cirrhosis, is a chronic liver disease. When a
person has PBC, the immune system attacks the liver causing slow, progressive damage to the bile ducts (small
tubes through which bile flows out of the liver). Bile is a yellow-green fluid produced by your liver to aid digestion.
When the bile ducts are damaged, bile and other substances cannot be eliminated and accumulate in the liver.
The retained substances are harmful to the liver and worsen the inflammation which leads to further damage.
This can over time result in scarring of the liver. When there is a lot of scarring in the liver this is called cirrhosis.
