title: Liver fibrosis: mechanisms of immune-mediated liver injury.
abstract: Liver fibrosis and its end-stage consequence, cirrhosis, represent the final common pathway of virtually all chronic liver diseases. Research into hepatic stellate cell activation, imbalance of the extracellular matrix synthesis and degradation and the contribution of cytokines and chemokines has further elucidated the mechanisms underlying fibrosis. Furthermore, clarification of changes in host adaptive and innate immune systems has accelerated our understanding of the association between liver inflammation and fibrosis. Continued elucidation of the mechanisms of hepatic fibrosis has provided a comprehensive model of fibrosis progression and regression. This review summarizes the current concepts of improvements that have been made in the field of fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Liver Disease Research Center for Biological Therapy, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Ruonan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Fu-Sheng
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000276:immunology*; D055166:Hepatic Stellate Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000276:immunology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators