Transporters in cholelithiasis

Gallstones are a common and costly disease with a projected increase in prevalence due to the increasing ageing population. Numerous endogenous and environmental factors are aetiologically related to this multifactorial disease, and genetic studies continue to unravel the pathobiological mechanisms related to gallstone formation. In particular, variants of genes encoding hepatobiliary transporters have been implicated in gallstone disease and, given their ability to influence biliary lipid composition, have undergone considerable investigation. Here we summarize the role of enterohepatic transporters in cholelithogenesis with a particular focus on pertinent ATP-binding cassette transporters (ABCB4, ABCB11, ABCC7, and ABCG5/G8).