title: Immunological functions of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells.
abstract: Liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) line the liver sinusoids and separate passenger leukocytes in the sinusoidal lumen from hepatocytes. LSECs further act as a platform for adhesion of various liver-resident immune cell populations such as Kupffer cells, innate lymphoid cells or liver dendritic cells. In addition to having an extraordinary scavenger function, LSECs possess potent immune functions, serving as sentinel cells to detect microbial infection through pattern recognition receptor activation and as antigen (cross)-presenting cells. LSECs cross-prime naive CD8 T cells, causing their rapid differentiation into memory T cells that relocate to secondary lymphoid tissues and provide protection when they re-encounter the antigen during microbial infection. Cross-presentation of viral antigens by LSECs derived from infected hepatocytes triggers local activation of effector CD8 T cells and thereby assures hepatic immune surveillance. The immune function of LSECs complements conventional immune-activating mechanisms to accommodate optimal immune surveillance against infectious microorganisms while preserving the integrity of the liver as a metabolic organ.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Immunology and Experimental Oncology, Klinikum München rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, München 81675, Germany.|Institute of Experimental Immunology, Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Percy A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Knolle
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Immunology and Experimental Oncology, Klinikum München rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, München 81675, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wohlleber
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000276:immunology; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II