Bay Biosciences provides biopsy tissue, FFPE tissue blocks, sera (serum), plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) specimens from patients diagnosed with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) disease.

Moreover, the serum and plasma samples are processed from patient’s peripheral whole-blood using customized collection and processing protocols.

Additionally, the samples are collected from unique PBC patients and are provided to a valued pharmaceutical customer for research, development and drug discovery. 

Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) Overview

Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC), also known as Primary Biliary Cirrhosis, is an autoimmune disease of the liver. Specifically, it results from a slow, progressive destruction of the small bile ducts of the liver, thereby causing bile and other toxins to build up in the liver, a condition called cholestasis.

Over time, this pressure build-up ultimately destroys the bile ducts, leading to liver cell damage. As the disease progresses, and as a result of enough liver cells dying, cirrhosis and liver failure occur.

Additionally, bile is produced in the liver and then transported through the bile ducts to the gallbladder and intestine, where it helps digest fats and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). Consequently, when the bile cannot be drained from the liver, it causes inflammation that leads to cell death. Subsequently, scar tissue gradually replaces the areas of damaged liver, and then the body cannot perform necessary functions.

Furthermore, Primary Biliary Cholangitis is considered an autoimmune disease, which means the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells and tissue. Moreover, researchers think a combination of genetic and environmental factors triggers the disease. In general, it usually develops slowly.

Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) Symptoms

More than half the people with Primary Biliary Cholangitis do not have any noticeable symptoms when diagnosed. The disease may be diagnosed when blood tests are done for other reasons. Symptoms eventually develop over the next five to 20 years. Those who do have symptoms at diagnosis typically have poorer outcomes.

Common early symptoms of PBC include:

  • Fatigue
  • Itchy skin
  • Dry eyes and mouth

Later signs and symptoms of PBC may include:

  • Firstly, pain in the upper right abdomen
  • Secondly, swelling of the spleen
  • Thirdly, bone, muscle or joint (musculoskeletal) pain
  • Moreover, swollen feet and ankles (edema)
  • Furthermore, buildup of fluid in the abdomen due to liver failure (ascites)
  • Finally, fatty deposits (xanthomas) on the skin around the eyes, eyelids or in the creases of the palms, soles, elbows or knees

Additional Symptoms

  • First, yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice
  • Second, darkening of the skin that’s not related to sun exposure (hyperpigmentation)
  • Next, weak and brittle bones (osteoporosis), which can lead to fractures
  • Moreover, high cholesterol
  • Furthermore, diarrhea, which may include greasy stools (steatorrhea)
  • In addition, under-active thyroid (hypothyroidism)
  • lastly, weight loss

Causes of Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC)

It’s not clear what causes Primary Biliary Cholangitis. Many experts consider it an autoimmune disease in which the body turns against its own cells. The liver inflammation seen in Primary Biliary Cholangitis starts when certain types of white blood cells called T cells (T lymphocytes) start to collect in the liver. Normally, these immune cells detect and help defend against germs, such as bacteria. But in Primary Biliary Cholangitis, they mistakenly destroy the healthy cells lining the small bile ducts in the liver. Inflammation in the smallest ducts spreads and eventually damages other cells in the liver. As the cells die, they’re replaced by scar tissue (fibrosis) that can lead to cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is scarring of liver tissue that makes it difficult for the liver to work properly.

Risk factors of Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC)

The following factors may increase the risk of Primary Biliary Cholangitis:

  • Sex- Most patients with Primary Biliary Cholangitis are women.
  • Age- It’s most likely to occur in people between 30 to 60 years old.
  • Genetic factors- Persons more likely to get the condition if they have a family member who has or had it.
  • Geography- PBC disease most common in northern Europe and North America.

Researchers think that genetic factors combined with certain environmental factors trigger Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) disease. These environmental factors may include:

Complications of Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC)

As liver damage worsens, Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) disease can cause serious health problems, including:

Decreased Mental Function

  • First, decreased mental function (hepatic encephalopathy): Some patients with Primary Biliary Cholangitis with liver failure have personality changes and problems with memory and concentration.

Enlarged Spleen

  • Second, enlarged spleen (Splenomegaly): The spleen can become swollen with white blood cells and platelets because the body no longer filters toxins out of the bloodstream as it should.

Gallstones

  • Moreover, gallstones and bile duct stones: If bile cannot flow through the bile ducts, it may harden into stones, causing pain and infection

Increased Risk of Other Diseases

  • Furthermore, increased risk of other disease: Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) disease is associated with metabolic or immune system disorders, including thyroid problems, limited scleroderma (CREST syndrome) and rheumatoid arthritis.

Liver Scarring

  • In addition, liver scarring (cirrhosis): Cirrhosis makes it difficult for the liver to work and may lead to liver failure. It indicates the later stage of Primary Biliary Cholangitis. People with Primary Biliary Cholangitis disease and cirrhosis have a poor prognosis (likely outcome) and higher risk of other complications.

Portal Hypertension

  • Likewise, increased pressure in the portal vein (portal hypertension): Blood from the intestine, spleen and pancreas enters the liver through a large blood vessel called the portal vein. 

Enlarged Veins

  • Also, enlarged veins (Varices): When blood flow through the portal vein is slowed or blocked, blood may back up into other organs, usually in the stomach and esophagus. Increased pressure may cause delicate veins to break open and bleed. Bleeding in the upper stomach or esophagus is a life-threatening emergency that requires immediate medical care.

Liver Cancer

  • Next, liver Cancer: Liver scarring (Cirrhosis) increases the risk of liver cancer.

Weak Bone

  • Lastly, weak bones (Osteoporosis): Patients with Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) disease have an increased risk of weak, brittle bones that may break more easily.

Vitamin Deficiencies

  • Finally, vitamin deficiencies: A lack of bile affects the digestive system’s ability to absorb fats and the fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E and K. Because of this, some people with advanced Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) may have low levels of these vitamins.

Biospecimens

biospecimens

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in providing researchers with high quality, clinical grade, fully characterized human tissue samples, bio-specimens, and human bio-fluid collections.

Moreover, human biospecimens are available including tumor tissue, serum, plasma and PBMC samples from most other therapeutic areas.

Furthermore, Bay Biosciences maintains and manages its own biorepository, the human tissue bank (biobank) consisting of thousands of diseased samples (specimens) and likewise normal healthy donors for controls. Additionally, available in all formats and types.

In fact, our biobank procures and stores fully consented, de-identified and institutional review boards (IRB) approved human tissue samples, human biofluids such as serum samples, plasma samples from various diseases and matched controls.

Also, all our human tissue collections, human biospecimens and human biofluids are provided with detailed, samples associated patient’s clinical data.

In fact, this critical patient’s clinical data includes information relating to their past and current disease, treatment history, lifestyle choices, biomarkers, and genetic information.

Additionally, researchers find the patient’s data associated with the human biospecimens extremely valuable and use it to help identify new effective treatments (drug discovery & development) in oncology, as well as in other therapeutic areas and diseases.

Bay Biosciences banks wide variety of human tissue samples and human biological samples, including fresh frozen human biospecimens cryogenically preserved at – 80°C.

For example fresh frozen tissue samples, tumor tissue samples, formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE), tissue slides, with matching human bio-fluids, whole blood and blood-derived products such as human serum, human plasma and human PBMCs.

Bay Biosciences is a global leader in collecting and providing human tissue samples according to the specified requirements and customized, tailor-made collection protocols.

Please contact us anytime to discuss your special research projects and customized human tissue sample requirements.

Types of Biospecimens

Bay Biosciences provides human tissue samples (human specimens) and human biofluids from diseased and normal healthy donors which includes:

Moreover, we can also procure most human biospecimens and human biofluids, special collections and requests for human samples that are difficult to find. All our human tissue samples and human biofluids are procured through IRB-approved clinical protocols and procedures.

In addition to the standard processing protocols, Bay Biosciences can also provide human biofluids such as  human plasma, human serum, and human PBMCs bio-fluid samples using custom processing protocols; you buy donor-specific collections in higher volumes and specified sample aliquots from us.

Bay Biosciences also provides human biospecimens from normal healthy donors; volunteers, for controls and clinical research, Contact us Now.