Pedal for Scotland- September 12^th 2010 The PBC Foundation

The PBC Foundation is the only organisation in the UK providing free help, support and information to those affected by Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC), a progressive autoimmune liver disease with no known cause or cure. The charity is a small organisation with a national reach: their Edinburgh-based team of 4 staff and UK-wide network of 60 volunteers currently support nearly 10,000 members. The Foundation is committed to improving the quality of life for PBC sufferers by increasing their access to support and information. They also work to educate the general public and medical professionals about this still largely unknown disease, and promote medical research.

What Is PBC?

Thought to affect 1:5,000 people in the UK, including 1:400 women over the age of 40, PBC causes the progressive destruction of the bile ducts in the liver. The body attacks the cells lining the bile ducts within the liver as if they are foreign to the body itself. This damage causes poor drainage of bile acids, which leak outwards and damage the normal liver cells. This leads to inflammation and scarring, which may, after many years, become extensive. Known as cirrhosis, this advanced scarring may impair the liver’s ability to function to the point that quality of life deteriorates dramatically and a transplant is required. Even after transplantation, however, PBC can return. Common symptoms of PBC include severe itching, extreme lethargy and chronic fatigue, dry eyes and/or mouth, indigestion, severe joint pain and abdominal pain. Unlike better known liver conditions, PBC is not related to substance abuse.

Please dig deep and help The PBC Foundation to continue their vital work in supporting PBC sufferers throughout the world. For more information, you can visit their website, and follow them on both Facebook andTwitter. Thank-you in advance for your sponsorship, and for supporting this valuable cause!