Cytokines in the Liver: Cytokine Mechanisms in Liver Health and Disease

Although the portal circulation exposes the liver to a host of non-self-antigens originating from alimentation and commensal bacteria, these components do not mount an immune response under homeostatic conditions. However, the liver is also the site where hepatotropic infections could potentially set in and the ability to tune the delicate balance between tolerogenic and immunogenic mechanisms is a key feature of liver physiology. Dysregulation in any of these mechanisms can result in disease including autoimmunity or persistence of viral infections. These immunological mechanisms also govern the wound healing processes that result in fibrogenesis and cirrhosis-a common end result of many of the chronic liver pathologies. Cytokines constitute the mechanistic platform upon which these processes operate, and orchestrate that fine tuning which is crucial for liver health.