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Generation of a Rat Model of Acute Liver Failure by Combining 70% Partial Hepatectomy and Acetaminophen
Published on: November 27, 2019
Cytokine and autoantibody patterns in acute liver failure
1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3M2, Canada.
Journal of Immunotoxicology
|December 31, 2009
Summary
Investigating drug-induced liver injury (DILI), this study explored immune responses in patients. While T(H)17 cell-related cytokines like IL-17 were elevated in DILI, the patterns overlapped with other liver conditions, complicating diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Hepatology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- The mechanisms underlying idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (IDILI) remain unclear, with potential overlap between metabolic and immune-mediated reactions.
- T helper 17 (T(H)17) cells, characterized by interleukin-17 (IL-17) production, are implicated in various autoimmune conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential involvement of T(H)17 cells in IDILI by analyzing cytokine and autoantibody profiles.
- To compare these profiles in patients with IDILI against those with acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure (ALF) and viral hepatitis-induced ALF.
Main Methods:
- Serum samples from 39 IDILI patients, 21 acetaminophen-induced ALF patients, and 10 viral hepatitis-induced ALF patients were analyzed.
- Quantification of cytokines (including IL-17 and IL-21), chemokines, and autoantibodies was performed.
Main Results:
- Elevated IL-17 levels were observed in 60% of IDILI patients, but also in comparable proportions of acetaminophen-induced ALF and some viral hepatitis cases.
- Higher levels of other T(H)17-associated cytokines, such as IL-21, were noted in IDILI patients, yet significant overlap with acetaminophen DILI was present.
- Autoantibodies were more frequent in the IDILI group but not universally detected.
Conclusions:
- The cytokine and chemokine profiles in various ALF etiologies show considerable patient-to-patient variability, with overlap between different conditions.
- This suggests diverse underlying mechanisms may contribute to liver injury, even for the same drug, complicating etiological determination.
- The complex interplay of cell types producing cytokines makes interpretation challenging in IDILI.
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