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Review
. 2021 Jan 1;17(1):307-327.
doi: 10.7150/ijbs.53589. eCollection 2021.

A Perspective Of Intestinal Immune-Microbiome Interactions In Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease

Ryan Bruellman  1 , Cristina Llorente  1
Affiliations
Review

A Perspective Of Intestinal Immune-Microbiome Interactions In Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease

Ryan Bruellman et al. Int J Biol Sci. .

Abstract

Uncovering the intricacies of the gut microbiome and how it interacts with the host immune system has opened up pathways in the search for the treatment of disease conditions. Alcohol-associated liver disease is a major cause of death worldwide. Research has shed light on the breakdown of the protective gut barriers, translocation of gut microbes to the liver and inflammatory immune response to microbes all contributing to alcohol-associated liver disease. This knowledge has opened up avenues for alternative therapies to alleviate alcohol-associated liver disease based on the interaction of the commensal gut microbiome as a key player in the regulation of the immune response. This review describes the relevance of the intestinal immune system, the gut microbiota, and specialized and non-specialized intestinal cells in the regulation of intestinal homeostasis. It also reflects how these components are altered during alcohol-associated liver disease and discusses new approaches for potential future therapies in alcohol-associated liver disease.

Keywords: Liver; alcohol-associated liver disease; immune system; intestine; microbiome.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic showing molecular level changes between the small intestine in healthy condition versus alcohol-associated liver disease condition. Abbreviations: AMP: anti-microbial peptide; IgA: immunoglobulin A; IL-10: interleukin 10; IL-17: interleukin 17; IL-22: interleukin 22; M cell: microfold cell; TNFα: tumor necrosis factor-alpha.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Representation of molecular level changes between the colon in healthy condition alcohol-associated liver disease condition. Abbreviations: AMP: anti-microbial peptide; IgA: immunoglobulin A; IL-10: interleukin 10; IL-17: interleukin 17; IL-22: interleukin 22; TNFα: tumor necrosis factor-alpha.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Image of differences within the liver between healthy condition and alcohol-associated liver disease. Abbreviations: IL1-ß: interleukin 1 beta; TNFα: tumor necrosis factor-alpha.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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