Publications by authors named "Caroline Blake"
Syphilis Hepatitis Presenting as a Mimic of Primary Biliary Cholangitis.
ACG Case Rep J
December 2020
Article Synopsis
- Syphilis hepatitis is a rare cause of acute liver injury that can mimic primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), an autoimmune disease marked by cholestatic liver injury and antimitochondrial antibodies (AMAs).
- A case is highlighted where syphilis hepatitis was mistaken for PBC due to the presence of positive AMA and resulted in liver injury.
- Treating syphilis led to the improvement of liver function and a decrease in antibody levels, suggesting syphilis should be considered in high-risk patients with cholestatic liver injury and positive AMA before diagnosing PBC.
Immunomodulation involves the use of antibodies to alter the function of molecules and is an emerging tool for manipulating both plant and animal systems. To realize the full potential of this technology, two major obstacles must be overcome. First, most antibodies do not function well intracellularly because critical disulfide bonds cannot form in the reducing environment of the cytoplasm or because of difficulties in targeting to subcellular organelles.
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