Dendritic cells and immune regulation in the liver

Abstract

Hepatic dendritic cells (DC) unquestionably play important roles in the induction and regulation of immune responses. Due to their paucity, functional characterisation of these important antigen presenting cells has been slow but use of DC growth factors (in particular GM-CSF and Flt3L) that markedly enhance their numbers has proved helpful in furnishing adequate study material. While there is growing evidence that DC function is affected in the pathogenesis of liver disease, most work to date has been performed on non-hepatic DC. Increasing knowledge of hepatic DC biology is likely to improve our understanding of disease pathogenesis and resistance to and therapy of liver disease.

Figure 1

Anatomy of sinusoids. The area between the LSEC and hepatocytes, where extracellular matrix and stellate cells reside, is called the space of Disse. Kupffer cells and other immune cells are believed to extravasate through the LSEC fenestrations into the parenchyma. DC normally reside only in the portal areas. BD, bile duct; DC, dendritic cell; H, hepatocyte; HA, hepatic artery; KC, Kupffer cell; LSEC, liver sinusoidal endothelial cell; PV, portal vein; SC, stellate cell.