Cholestasis and cholestatic syndromes.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Cholestatic liver injury is encountered across a wide variety of clinical scenarios ranging from toxin-induced, genetic, to autoimmune in nature. This review summarizes recent findings from what is a burgeoning clinical field.

RECENT FINDINGS: We highlight observations from cell biology (intracellular signaling molecules), genetics (biliary transporters) and clinical studies (predictors of outcomes) that provide new directions for laboratory and clinical research.

SUMMARY: Treatments for cholestasis and cholestatic syndromes remain largely nonspecific and often ineffective. With the increased precision with which the cell biology of the cholangiocyte and the clinical description of associated diseases such as primary biliary cirrhosis and sclerosing cholangitis are understood, new approaches are likely to arise.