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A role for cytokines as regulators of hepatic fibrogenesis

  • Hepatic Fibrosis
  • Published:
Gastroenterologia Japonica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

It is evident that hepatic fibrogenesis is a complex process involving a cascade of cytokines which interact to enhance the expression of ECM. Cytokines involved early in this cascade may serve as proinflammatory agents or as stimulators of macrophage and Ito cell activation and proliferation, while those cytokines involved later in this process may be directly fibrogenic. Furthermore, we speculate that a balance between profibrogenic and antifibrogenic cytokines normally exists but in the presence of hepatic insults, a relative superabundance of the fibrogenic factors promotes the development of liver fibrosis. To date, most of the evidence supporting a role for cytokines in liver fibrosis has been obtained inin vitro systems or in animal models. We now need to extend these findings to man in order to determine whether a similar cascade of cytokines is important in the development of this pathologic process in man. Further delineation of these cytokines (as well as other profibrogenic soluble factors), and the mechanisms by which they act, are critical to our development of more rational forms of therapy for liver fibrosis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine and the Marion Bessin Liver Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA

    Francis R. Weiner

  2. Department of Medicine, Brown University, Roger Williams Medical Center, and VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, USA

    Silvia Degli Esposti & Mark A. Zern M.D.

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  1. Francis R. Weiner
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  2. Silvia Degli Esposti
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  3. Mark A. Zern M.D.
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Weiner, F.R., Esposti, S.D. & Zern, M.A. A role for cytokines as regulators of hepatic fibrogenesis. Gastroenterol Jpn 28 (Suppl 4), 97–101 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02782899

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