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Isolation, Characterization, and Purification of Macrophages from Tissues Affected by Obesity-related Inflammation
07:46

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Published on: April 3, 2017

Dysfunctional macrophages along the gut-liver axis: a driver of infection in cirrhosis

Devrim Aslan1,2, Hannelie Korf1, Alexander Dumarey1

  • 1Laboratory of Liver Immunology, Leuven Center of Molecular Liver Sciences, Hepatology Research Unit, Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism (CHROMETA), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.

Frontiers in Immunology
|July 30, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Cirrhosis patients face high infection risks due to compromised gut-liver axis immunity. This review explores how intestinal and hepatic macrophages, crucial for barrier integrity, are dysregulated in cirrhosis, impacting disease progression.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Gastroenterology
  • Hepatology

Background:

  • Patients with cirrhosis exhibit heightened susceptibility to infections, often originating from the gut.
  • These infections can precipitate hepatic decompensation, organ failure, and mortality.
  • Macrophages are vital immune cells in the gut-liver axis, maintaining barrier integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the heterogeneity of intestinal and hepatic macrophages.
  • To emphasize their distinct ontogeny and niche-specific functions.
  • To explore therapeutic strategies targeting macrophages in advanced liver disease.

Main Methods:

  • This is a review article, synthesizing current research on macrophage function in the gut-liver axis.
  • It discusses macrophage heterogeneity, ontogeny, and functional roles in health and cirrhosis.
  • Therapeutic approaches are explored based on existing literature.

Main Results:

  • In cirrhosis, macrophage specialization, organization, and antimicrobial functions are disrupted.
  • Understanding macrophage heterogeneity is key to comprehending gut-liver axis integrity.
  • Dysregulated macrophages contribute to compromised barrier functions in cirrhosis.

Conclusions:

  • Macrophages play critical roles in maintaining gut-liver barrier integrity.
  • Disruption of macrophage function in cirrhosis exacerbates infection susceptibility and disease progression.
  • Targeting macrophage dysregulation offers potential therapeutic avenues for advanced liver disease.
Keywords:
bacterial translocationcirrhosisgut-liver axisintestinal barriermacrophage

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