Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with PBC were stimulated with plate-bound anti-CD3 (5 μg/ml), anti-CD28 (5 μg/ml), and IL-18 (100 ng/ml), (BioLegend, San Diego, CA,USA) at 37°C for 48 h. This evidence concerns the gene CD28 and primary biliary cholangitis.