scholarly journals Beyond Metabolism: Role of the Immune System in Hepatic Toxicity

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-164
Author(s):  
Kenneth L. Hastings ◽  
Martin D. Green ◽  
Bin Gao ◽  
Patricia E. Ganey ◽  
Robert A. Roth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Liver Injury ◽  
Bacterial Infection ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Hepatic Toxicity ◽  
Drug Induced ◽  
Host Immune Responses ◽  
Disease Spectrum

The liver is primarily thought of as a metabolic organ; however, the liver is also an important mediator of immunological functions. Key perspectives on this emerging topic were presented in a symposium at the 2018 annual meeting of the American College of Toxicology entitled “Beyond metabolism: Role of the immune system in hepatic toxicity.” Viral hepatitis is an important disease of the liver for which insufficient preventive vaccines exist. Host immune responses inadequately clear these viruses and often potentiate immunological inflammation that damages the liver. In addition, the liver is a key innate immune organ against bacterial infection. Hepatocytes and immune cells cooperatively control systemic and local bacterial infections. Conversely, bacterial infection can activate multiple types of immune cells and pathways to cause hepatocyte damage and liver injury. Finally, the immune system and specifically cytokines and drugs can interact in idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury. This rare disease can result in a disease spectrum that ranges from mild to acute liver failure. The immune system plays a role in this disease spectrum.

scholarly journals Computational Modeling of Microabscess Formation

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre Bittencourt Pigozzo ◽  
Gilson Costa Macedo ◽  
Rodrigo Weber dos Santos ◽  
Marcelo Lobosco
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Computational Modeling ◽  
Bacterial Infection ◽  
Computational Model ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Distinct Pattern ◽  
Human Immune System ◽  
Human Immune

Bacterial infections can be of two types: acute or chronic. The chronic bacterial infections are characterized by being a large bacterial infection and/or an infection where the bacteria grows rapidly. In these cases, the immune response is not capable of completely eliminating the infection which may lead to the formation of a pattern known as microabscess (or abscess). The microabscess is characterized by an area comprising fluids, bacteria, immune cells (mainly neutrophils), and many types of dead cells. This distinct pattern of formation can only be numerically reproduced and studied by models that capture the spatiotemporal dynamics of the human immune system (HIS). In this context, our work aims to develop and implement an initial computational model to study the process of microabscess formation during a bacterial infection.

scholarly journals Inflammasomes inMycobacterium tuberculosis-Driven Immunity

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Wawrocki ◽  
Magdalena Druszczynska
Keyword(s):  
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis ◽  
Inflammatory Response ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Proinflammatory Cytokines ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Inflammasome Activation ◽  
Host Immune Responses ◽  
Multimeric Protein

The development of effective innate and subsequent adaptive host immune responses is highly dependent on the production of proinflammatory cytokines that increase the activity of immune cells. The key role in this process is played by inflammasomes, multimeric protein complexes serving as a platform for caspase-1, an enzyme responsible for proteolytic cleavage of IL-1βand IL-18 precursors. Inflammasome activation, which triggers the multifaceted activity of these two proinflammatory cytokines, is a prerequisite for developing an efficient inflammatory response against pathogenicMycobacterium tuberculosis(M.tb). This review focuses on the role of NLRP3 and AIM2 inflammasomes inM.tb-driven immunity.

The interplay between gut microbiota and the immune system in liver transplant recipients and its role in infections

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Ancona ◽  
Laura Alagna ◽  
Andrea Lombardi ◽  
Emanuele Palomba ◽  
Valeria Castelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Liver Disease ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Liver Transplant ◽  
Bacterial Infections ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Transplant Recipients ◽  
Liver Transplant Recipients

Liver transplantation (LT) is a life-saving strategy for patients with end-stage liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma and acute liver failure. LT success can be hampered by several short-term and long-term complications. Among them, bacterial infections, especially due to multidrug-resistant germs, are particularly frequent with a prevalence between 19 and 33% in the first 100 days after transplantation. In the last decades, a number of studies have highlighted how gut microbiota (GM) is involved in several essential functions to ensure the intestinal homeostasis, becoming one of the most important virtual metabolic organs. GM works through different axes with other organs, and the gut-liver axis is among the most relevant and investigated ones. Any alteration or disruption of GM is defined as dysbiosis. Peculiar phenotypes of GM dysbiosis have been associated to several liver conditions and complications, such as chronic hepatitis, fatty liver disease, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Moreover, there is growing evidence of the crucial role of GM in shaping the immune response, both locally and systemically, against pathogens. This paves the way to the manipulation of GM as a therapeutic instrument to modulate the infectious risk and outcome. In this minireview we provide an overview of the current understanding on the interplay between gut microbiota and the immune system in liver transplant recipients and the role of the former in infections.

scholarly journals Adipocytes, Innate Immunity and Obesity: A Mini-Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alecia M. Blaszczak ◽  
Anahita Jalilvand ◽  
Willa A. Hsueh
Keyword(s):  
Adipose Tissue ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Adaptive Immune System ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Lymphoid Cells ◽  
Innate Immune Cells ◽  
Adaptive Immune

The role of adipose tissue (AT) inflammation in obesity and its multiple related-complications is a rapidly expanding area of scientific interest. Within the last 30 years, the role of the adipocyte as an endocrine and immunologic cell has been progressively established. Like the macrophage, the adipocyte is capable of linking the innate and adaptive immune system through the secretion of adipokines and cytokines; exosome release of lipids, hormones, and microRNAs; and contact interaction with other immune cells. Key innate immune cells in AT include adipocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, and innate lymphoid cells type 2 (ILC2s). The role of the innate immune system in promoting adipose tissue inflammation in obesity will be highlighted in this review. T cells and B cells also play important roles in contributing to AT inflammation and are discussed in this series in the chapter on adaptive immunity.

scholarly journals Regulatory Immune Cells in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: Friends or Foes?

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiel van Geffen ◽  
Astrid Deißler ◽  
Markus Quante ◽  
Harald Renz ◽  
Dominik Hartl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Suppressor Cells ◽  
Interstitial Lung Diseases ◽  
Stromal Stem Cells

The immune system is receiving increasing attention for interstitial lung diseases, as knowledge on its role in fibrosis development and response to therapies is expanding. Uncontrolled immune responses and unbalanced injury-inflammation-repair processes drive the initiation and progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The regulatory immune system plays important roles in controlling pathogenic immune responses, regulating inflammation and modulating the transition of inflammation to fibrosis. This review aims to summarize and critically discuss the current knowledge on the potential role of regulatory immune cells, including mesenchymal stromal/stem cells, regulatory T cells, regulatory B cells, macrophages, dendritic cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Furthermore, we review the emerging role of regulatory immune cells in anti-fibrotic therapy and lung transplantation. A comprehensive understanding of immune regulation could pave the way towards new therapeutic or preventive approaches in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

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