Common genetic variants in the bile salt export pump ABCB11 and genetic susceptibility to cholangiocarcinoma

Background: Though representing the second most common primary liver cancer, the pathogenesis of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is insufficiently characterized. The combined effects of cholestasis and chronic inflammation are proposed to be key factors in CCA development. However, reliable information on inherited risk factors underlying CCA susceptibility is limited, genetic variation in hepatobiliary transporters has been suggested to modulate genetic risk.1 Therefore we now extended our previous work to ABCB11 rs3815676 and rs7577650 recently associated with intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP).2 Patients an…