The role of immune mechanisms in alcoholic and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: a 2015 update

ABSTRACT

So far, innate immune mechanisms have been recognized as the main responsible for the evolution of both alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, increasing evidence points toward the possible role of adaptive immune responses, as an additional factor in promoting hepatic inflammation in steatohepatitis. In this article, we discuss recent data involving circulating antibodies and lymphocyte-mediated responses in sustaining the progression of ASH and NASH to fibrosis, as well as the possible mechanisms implicated in favoring the onset of adaptive immunity in the setting of steatohepatitis.

KEYWORDS:

• Alcoholic liver disease (ALD)
• natural killer T cells
• nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD)
• oxidative stress
• lipid peroxidation
• liver fibrosis
• T-lymphocytes

Acknowledgments

The original researches by the authors were supported by grants from the Italian Ministry of Education (MIUR), Regional Government of Piedmont and Fondazione Cariplo, Milan, Italy.