title: Role of inflammation and infection in the pathogenesis of human acute liver failure: Clinical implications for monitoring and therapy.
abstract: Acute liver failure is a rare and devastating clinical condition. At present, emergency liver transplantation is the only life-saving therapy in advanced cases, yet the feasibility of transplantation is affected by the presence of systemic inflammation, infection and resultant multi-organ failure. The importance of immune dysregulation and acquisition of infection in the pathogenesis of acute liver failure and its associated complications is now recognised. In this review we discuss current thinking regarding the role of infection and inflammation in the pathogenesis of and outcome in human acute liver failure, the implications for the management of such patients and suggest directions for future research.
authors.affiliation: Mhairi C Donnelly, Peter C Hayes, Kenneth J Simpson, Department of Hepatology and Scottish Liver Transplant Unit, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Mhairi C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Donnelly
authors.affiliation: Mhairi C Donnelly, Peter C Hayes, Kenneth J Simpson, Department of Hepatology and Scottish Liver Transplant Unit, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.affiliation: Mhairi C Donnelly, Peter C Hayes, Kenneth J Simpson, Department of Hepatology and Scottish Liver Transplant Unit, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Kenneth J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Simpson
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000276:immunology*; D009181:Mycoses / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents
keywords: Acute liver failure; Biomarker; Infection; Inflammation; Neuroinflammation