Question: What are the symptoms of primary biliary cholangitis?
Answer: The most common symptoms of primary biliary cholangitis are

feeling tired
itchy skin

Other symptoms may include

discomfort or pain in the upper-right side of yourabdomen
joint pain orarthritis
symptoms ofother health problemsthat may occur along with primary biliary cholangitis, such as dry eyes and dry mouth due toSjögren’s syndrome

As the disease gets worse, symptoms may include

darkening of skin color
fatty deposits that appear as yellow bumps on the skin, called xanthomas
symptoms of cirrhosis, such asedema,jaundice, and weight loss

Many people have no symptoms when they are first diagnosed with primary biliary cholangitis. Doctors diagnose about 60% of people with primary biliary cholangitis before symptoms begin.3 People with primary biliary cholangitis and no symptoms are identified through blood tests. Some people do not have symptoms for years after they have been diagnosed with primary biliary cholangitis.
Question: What causes primary biliary cholangitis?
Answer: Experts aren’t sure what causes primary biliary cholangitis. Studies suggest that certain genes make some people more likely to develop the disease. In people with these genes, factors in the environment may trigger an autoimmune reaction that causes their immune system to attack the small bile ducts in the liver, causing primary biliary cholangitis.

Possible environmental triggers include

infections
cigarette smoking
exposure to certain chemicals