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Updated: Jan 8, 2026

Measurement of the Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient and Transjugular Liver Biopsy
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Measurement of the Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient and Transjugular Liver Biopsy

Published on: June 18, 2020

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The immunological profile of children with portal hypertension

Fabiola Di Dato1, Raffaele Iorio2, Eirini Kyrana3

  • 1Department of Translational Medical Science, Section of Pediatrics, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; The Roger Williams Institute of Liver Studies, School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.

Digestive and Liver Disease : Official Journal of the Italian Society of Gastroenterology and the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver
|December 21, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Portal hypertension in children presents diagnostic and treatment challenges. Research highlights the immune system

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Gastroenterology and Hepatology
  • Immunology
  • Vascular Biology

Background:

  • Portal hypertension is a serious clinical syndrome with severe complications.
  • Current diagnostic methods like hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement are invasive, and treatment options are limited, often necessitating liver transplantation in children.
  • The interplay between the immune system, inflammation, and vascular changes in portal hypertension pathogenesis is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on the role of immune factors in portal hypertension development and progression.
  • To explore the connection between immune response, liver changes, and portal hypertension in pediatric patients.
  • To identify potential non-invasive diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of current research on cytokines, immune cells, and molecular mechanisms.
  • Analysis of the immune system's influence on inflammation and vascular remodeling in portal hypertension.
  • Synthesis of information regarding diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in pediatric portal hypertension.

Main Results:

  • Cytokines, immune cells, and other molecules significantly contribute to inflammation and vascular changes in portal hypertension.
  • The immune system plays a crucial role in the development and progression of liver changes associated with portal hypertension.
  • Current understanding suggests a strong interaction between immune dysregulation and portal hypertension pathogenesis.

Conclusions:

  • A deeper understanding of immune system involvement is crucial for advancing portal hypertension research.
  • Identifying non-invasive markers for diagnosis and complication prediction in children is a key future direction.
  • Immunomodulatory strategies may offer novel therapeutic avenues for managing pediatric portal hypertension.

Keywords:
Biliary atresiaCytokinesImmune phenotypePortal vein thrombosis

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