Mechanisms of tissue injury in autoimmune liver diseases

Evaggelia Liaskou, Gideon M Hirschfield, M Eric Gershwin

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42 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

Autoimmune diseases affecting the liver are mainly represented by autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). The characteristic morphologic patterns of injury are a chronic hepatitis pattern of damage in AIH, destruction of small intrahepatic bile ducts in PBC and periductal fibrosis and inflammation involving larger bile ducts in PSC. The factors responsible for initiation and perpetuation of the injury in all the three autoimmune liver diseases are not understood completely but are likely to be environmental triggers on the background of genetic variation in immune regulation. In this review, we summarise the current understanding of the mechanisms underlying the breakdown of self-tolerance in autoimmune liver diseases.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)553-568
JournalSeminars in immunopathology
Volume36
Issue number5
Early online date1 Aug 2014
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2014

Keywords

  • Animals
  • Autoimmune Diseases
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Humans
  • Liver Diseases

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