The Role of Immune Cells in Acute and Chronic Liver Disease

A special issue of Livers (ISSN 2673-4389).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 7659

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Section of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Imperial College London, London W2 1NY, UK
Interests: immunity; liver diseases; macrophages; inflammation

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Guest Editor
Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Interests: inflammation; fibrosis; human; endothelium; cell culture; alcohol; NAFLD

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, intensive basic, translational, and clinical research has improved our knowledge of the immunopathogenesis of liver diseases. Systemic and hepatic inflammation are key features of acute and chronic liver failure, orchestrated by both innate and adaptive immune cells. It is now widely accepted that liver-resident and/or liver-recruited immune cells play various crucial roles in the development of hepatic inflammation, fibrosis, and progression to cirrhosis. However, it is also clear that key immune-cell populations are vital for liver regeneration and resolution, thereby providing potential opportunities for cell-based therapeutics. Furthermore, technical advances in experimental models and tools, such as single-cell approaches, have enabled us to dissect the key cellular and molecular pathways of immune function, uncovering critical pathophysiological changes involved in different disease states. Yet, success in treating such disorders has been more challenging than initially anticipated, and new effective immune-based therapies for liver diseases remain to be established.

This Special Issue aims to provide insight into recent advances in our immunological understanding of acute and chronic liver failure, as well as the identification of new immunotherapeutic targets and interventions. We welcome the submission of original research and review articles. Liver immunology research areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Alcohol- and drug-induced liver injury, including acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure;
  • Cirrhosis and acute-on-chronic liver failure;
  • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis;
  • Insights from new technological advances such as spatial transcriptomics and RNA sequencing.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Evangelos Triantafyllou
Dr. Patricia Lalor
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • innate immunity
  • adaptive immunity
  • liver immunology
  • liver disease
  • inflammation
  • acute liver failure
  • chronic liver failure
  • cirrhosis
  • non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
  • non-alcoholic and alcoholic steatohepatitis

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

14 pages, 846 KiB  
Review
Dysfunctions of Circulating Adaptive Immune Cells in End-Stage Liver Disease
by Tong Liu, Yasmina Chouik, Fanny Lebossé and Wafa Khamri
Livers 2023, 3(3), 369-382; https://doi.org/10.3390/livers3030028 - 4 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2093
Abstract
End-stage liver disease (ESLD) from acute liver failure to compensated advanced chronic liver disease and decompensated cirrhosis at different stages (chronic decompensation, acute decompensation with or without acute-on-chronic liver failure) has high disease severity and poor patient outcome. Infection is a common complication [...] Read more.
End-stage liver disease (ESLD) from acute liver failure to compensated advanced chronic liver disease and decompensated cirrhosis at different stages (chronic decompensation, acute decompensation with or without acute-on-chronic liver failure) has high disease severity and poor patient outcome. Infection is a common complication in patients with ESLD and it is associated with a high mortality rate. Multiple mechanisms are involved in this marked susceptibility to infections, noticeably the inadequate immune response known as immune paresis, as part of cirrhosis-associated immune dysfunction (CAID). Specifically in the adaptive immune arm, lymphocyte impairments—including inadequate activation, reduced ability to secrete effector molecules and enhanced immune suppressive phenotypes—result in compromised systemic immune responses and increased risk of infections. This review summarises current knowledge of alterations in adaptive immune responsiveness and their underlying mechanisms in ESLD. Understanding these mechanisms is of crucial importance in the identification of potential therapeutic targets and applications of targeted treatments beyond antimicrobials, such as immunotherapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Immune Cells in Acute and Chronic Liver Disease)
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18 pages, 844 KiB  
Review
Peritoneal Immunity in Liver Disease
by Joseph Delo, Daniel Forton, Evangelos Triantafyllou and Arjuna Singanayagam
Livers 2023, 3(2), 240-257; https://doi.org/10.3390/livers3020016 - 26 Apr 2023
Viewed by 4199
Abstract
The peritoneum represents a confined microenvironment that has an emerging role as a distinct immunological compartment. In health, this niche is mainly populated by a heterogenous group of macrophages and T lymphocytes but also Natural Killer cells and B lymphocytes. Together they are [...] Read more.
The peritoneum represents a confined microenvironment that has an emerging role as a distinct immunological compartment. In health, this niche is mainly populated by a heterogenous group of macrophages and T lymphocytes but also Natural Killer cells and B lymphocytes. Together they are crucial for immunological surveillance, clearance of infection and resolution of inflammation. Development of ascites is a defining feature of decompensated liver cirrhosis, and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is the most frequent bacterial infection occurring in this patient group. Recent studies of ascitic fluid have revealed quantitative, phenotypic and functional differences in both innate and adaptive immune cells compared to the healthy state. This review summarises current knowledge of these alterations and explores how the peritoneum in chronic liver disease is simultaneously an immunologically compromised site and yet capable of provoking an intense inflammatory response. A better understanding of this might enable identification of new therapeutic targets aimed to rebalance the peritoneal immunity and reduce the reliance on antimicrobials in an era of increasing antimicrobial resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Immune Cells in Acute and Chronic Liver Disease)
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