Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the bile ducts in the liver to become inflamed and damaged and, ultimately, to disappear.
Bile is a liquid produced in the liver that travels through the bile ducts to the gallbladder and then the small intestine, where it helps digest fats and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. When the bile ducts become damaged from chronic inflammation, bile builds up in the liver and injures liver tissue. PBC is a disease where your immune system attacks the bile ducts.