The role of macrophage activation in the development of Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: an integrated study of the gut-fat-liver axis.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common cause of liver disease worldwide affecting 20-30% of the population in developed countries. NAFLD is strongly associated with visceral adiposity and is recognized as the hepatic manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. Most patients with NAFLD remain asymptomatic and simple steatosis (non-alcoholic fatty liver, NAFLD) is generally believed to run a benign course. A subgroup of patients, however, develops inflammation and hepatocyte damage, referred to as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and may progress to cirrhosis, liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma. We have recently shown that in human subjects with NASH-cirrhosis that the intestinal barrier is compromised, intestinal macrophages activated and that increased plasma LPS and lipoprotein binding protein (LBP) levels could be observed, suggesting that endotoxaemia is an important feature of advanced liver disease. We want to investigate which subpopulation of macrophages is involved in the progression of NAFLD to NASH through a detailed study of surface markers on macrophages in different well characterized groups of patients with liver disease.

Keywords:NASH, bacterial translocation, immune system, diabetes, NAFLD, inflammation, Obesity

Disciplines:Laboratory medicine, Palliative care and end-of-life care, Regenerative medicine, Other basic sciences, Other health sciences, Nursing, Other paramedical sciences, Other translational sciences, Other medical and health sciences