Boston—Exposure to heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and arsenic may play a role in the development of autoimmune liver diseases, researchers in the United Kingdom have found.
Exposure to these potential toxins occurs through both natural sources and the burning of fossil fuels, production of heavy metals, and use of pesticides. These compounds cause immune dysregulation and epithelial injury via oxidative stress, and are actively transported into bile.
“We know that the etiology of