What exactly do Antimitochondrial Antibodies (M2) do to the body? Does the body attack mitochondria in all my cells and create several autoimmune conditions, or just the cells in the bile ducts?
1 Answer
Aug 31, 2016
In almost all cases, antimitochondrial antibody M2 attacks only the cells in the bile ducts.
Explanation:
Autoantibodies are antibodies (immune proteins) that mistakenly target and react with a person's own tissues or organs.
Antimitochondrial antibody M2 is an autoantibody that acts against mitochondria, especially the mitochondria in cells of the liver's bile ducts.
It causes the autoimmune disease called primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC).
PBC is a long-term disease that slowly destroys the bile ducts by prolonged inflammation.
This causes bile to remain in the liver, where it gradually damages liver cells and causes scarring (cirrhosis).
As the amount of scar tissue increases, the liver loses its ability to function.
