Familial intrahepatic cholestases (FICs) are a heterogeneous group of autosomal recessive disorders of childhood that disrupt bile formation and present with cholestasis of hepatocellular origin. Three distinct forms are described: FIC1 and FIC2, associated with low/normal GGT level in serum, which are caused by impaired bile salt secretion due to defects in ATP8B1 encoding the FIC1 protein and...

BACKGROUND Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis has been only infrequently reported from India. CASE CHARACTERISTICS An Indian girl with progressive cholestatic liver disease beginning during infancy, normal gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase levels, parental consanguinity, positive family history and a fatal outcome. OBSERVATION A novel, homozygous mutation (c.[589_592inv;592_593insA])...

Benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis (BRIC) is a peculiar familial disease caused by mutations of the genes encoding hepatocanalicular flippase for phosphatidylserine (ATP8B1; BRIC type 1) or the bile salt export pump (ABCB11; BRIC type 2). Here, we report on a patient with nasobiliary drainage-refractory BRIC type 2 who improved under plasma separation and anion absorption therapy. We als...

Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a transcription factor that controls bile acid homeostasis. The phenotype of Fxr null mice is characterized by hypercholanaemia, impaired secretion of bile acids and failure to thrive. Human disorders with these characteristics include FIC1 disease (caused by mutations in ATP8B1, which encodes a putative aminophospholipid translocase, FIC1, whose function in bile h...