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Nutrients
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Essential Trace Elements in Chronic Liver Disease
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Essential Trace Elements in Chronic Liver Disease

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutritional Epidemiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2022) | Viewed by 14701

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Takashi Himoto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical Technology, Kagawa Prefectural University of Health Sciences, Takamatsu, Japan
Interests: hepatocellular carcinoma; diagnosis; treatment; precision medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to inform you of this Special Issue on the theme of “Essential Trace Elements in Chronic Liver Disease.” It has been well documented that some deficient or excessive essential trace elements play crucial roles in the development of chronic liver diseases (CLDs), including viral chronic hepatitis/cirrhosis, alcoholic liver diseases, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and autoimmune liver diseases. Insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and oxidative stress are closely associated with the pathogenesis of these CLDs. Extrahepatic manifestations derived from CLDs, such as sarcopenia, may be responsible for deficiency in these trace elements. The impairment of trace elements’ homeostasis is also involved in the process of hepatocarcinogenesis. Supplementation with some trace elements may cause favorable inhibitory effects on the disease progression. However, the clinical relevance of other trace elements has not been fully established. Recent advances in the molecular biological techniques make it possible to elucidate the novel involvement of trace elements in the pathogenesis of these CLDs.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to verify the clinical efficacy of supplementation with these trace elements in patients with CLDs. The Special Issue also welcomes articles which explore novel molecules, genetic polymorphisms, microRNAs, and gut floras associated with trace element metabolism in such patients. We hope that many papers, including original articles and review articles, will be submitted.

Prof. Dr. Takashi Himoto
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • essential trace elements
  • necroinflammation in the liver
  • hepatic fibrosis
  • hepatic steatosis
  • hepatocarcinogenesis
  • genetic polymorphism
  • microRNA
  • dysbiosis
  • insulin resistance
  • dyslipidemia
  • nutrition

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Review

21 pages, 1232 KiB  
Review
Current Trends on the Involvement of Zinc, Copper, and Selenium in the Process of Hepatocarcinogenesis
by Takashi Himoto and Tsutomu Masaki
Nutrients 2024, 16(4), 472; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16040472 - 6 Feb 2024
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2279
Abstract
Numerous nutritional factors increase the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. The dysregulation of zinc, copper, and selenium homeostasis is associated with the occurrence of HCC. The impairment of the homeostasis of these essential trace elements results in oxidative stress, DNA damage, cell [...] Read more.
Numerous nutritional factors increase the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. The dysregulation of zinc, copper, and selenium homeostasis is associated with the occurrence of HCC. The impairment of the homeostasis of these essential trace elements results in oxidative stress, DNA damage, cell cycle progression, and angiogenesis, finally leading to hepatocarcinogenesis. These essential trace elements can affect the microenvironment in HCC. The carrier proteins for zinc and copper and selenium-containing enzymes play important roles in the prevention or progression of HCC. These trace elements enhance or alleviate the chemosensitivity of anticancer agents in patients with HCC. The zinc, copper, or selenium may affect the homeostasis of other trace elements with each other. Novel types of cell death including ferropotosis and cupropotosis are also associated with hepatocarcinogenesis. Therapeutic strategies for HCC that target these carrier proteins for zinc and copper or selenium-containing enzymes have been developed in in vitro and in vivo studies. The use of zinc-, copper- or selenium-nanoparticles has been considered as novel therapeutic agents for HCC. These results indicate that zinc, copper, and selenium may become promising therapeutic targets in patients with HCC. The clinical application of these agents is an urgent unmet requirement. This review article highlights the correlation between the dysregulation of the homeostasis of these essential trace elements and the development of HCC and summarizes the current trends on the roles of these essential trace elements in the pathogenesis of hepatocarcinogenesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Essential Trace Elements in Chronic Liver Disease)
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12 pages, 1061 KiB  
Review
The Significance of Zinc in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease
by Hiroki Nishikawa, Akira Asai and Shinya Fukunishi
Nutrients 2022, 14(22), 4855; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14224855 - 17 Nov 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3542
Abstract
Zinc is an essential trace element for the maintenance of life because it acts as a center of activity or cofactor for hundreds of enzymes. Zinc deficiency causes a variety of symptoms, including anemia, dermatitis, stomatitis, alopecia, bedsores, decreased appetite, impaired growth, gonadal [...] Read more.
Zinc is an essential trace element for the maintenance of life because it acts as a center of activity or cofactor for hundreds of enzymes. Zinc deficiency causes a variety of symptoms, including anemia, dermatitis, stomatitis, alopecia, bedsores, decreased appetite, impaired growth, gonadal dysfunction, susceptibility to infection, and taste disorders, etc. In March 2017, zinc acetate hydrate, which had been approved for Wilson disease in Japan, received an additional indication for hypozincemia. Hypozincemia is frequently observed in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD), especially cirrhosis, and it has recently been shown that hypozincemia is closely related to the development of liver fibrosis and increased risk of liver carcinogenesis, in addition to the appearance of various subjective symptoms. Moreover, hypozincemia in CLD may be associated with sarcopenia (i.e., decrease in muscle strength and muscle mass) and frailty (i.e., vulnerability), which receive much attention these days. It is assumed that treatment with zinc acetate hydrate will become widespread in patients with CLD. Zinc acetate hydrate may also have potential for improving sarcopenia in patients with CLD. This review primarily outlines the significance of zinc in patients with CLD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Essential Trace Elements in Chronic Liver Disease)
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19 pages, 1805 KiB  
Review
Albumin Substitution in Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis: Don’t Forget Zinc
by Kurt Grüngreiff, Thomas Gottstein, Dirk Reinhold and Claudia A. Blindauer
Nutrients 2021, 13(11), 4011; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13114011 - 10 Nov 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 7980
Abstract
Decompensated liver cirrhosis has a dismal prognosis, with patients surviving on average for 2–4 years after the first diagnosis of ascites. Albumin is an important tool in the therapy of cirrhotic ascites. By virtue of its oncotic properties, it reduces the risk of [...] Read more.
Decompensated liver cirrhosis has a dismal prognosis, with patients surviving on average for 2–4 years after the first diagnosis of ascites. Albumin is an important tool in the therapy of cirrhotic ascites. By virtue of its oncotic properties, it reduces the risk of cardiovascular dysfunction after paracentesis. Treatment with albumin also counteracts the development of hepatorenal syndrome and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. More recently, the positive impact of long-term albumin supplementation in liver disease, based on its pleiotropic non-oncotic activities, has been recognized. These include transport of endo- and exogenous substances, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities, and stabilizing effects on the endothelium. Besides the growing recognition that effective albumin therapy requires adjustment of the plasma level to normal physiological values, the search for substances with adjuvant activities is becoming increasingly important. More than 75% of patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis do not only present with hypoalbuminemia but also with zinc deficiency. There is a close relationship between albumin and the essential trace element zinc. First and foremost, albumin is the main carrier of zinc in plasma, and is hence critical for systemic distribution of zinc. In this review, we discuss important functions of albumin in the context of metabolic, immunological, oxidative, transport, and distribution processes, alongside crucial functions and effects of zinc and their mutual dependencies. In particular, we focus on the major role of chronic inflammatory processes in pathogenesis and progression of liver cirrhosis and how albumin therapy and zinc supplementation may affect these processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Essential Trace Elements in Chronic Liver Disease)
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