Gauging the contribution of hepatic stellate cells towards the acute phase response of hepatocytes to lipopolysaccharide

Introduction: Bacterial translocation triggers a strong immunological response in the liver, which is an important defence mechanism during acute liver injury. The expression of acute phase proteins (APP) by hepatocytes and their release to surrounding cells and the blood circuit is a central aspect of this process. APPs contribute to the elimination of pathogens, at the same time providing essential parts of a feed back loop preventing an overshooting inflammatory response by antagonizing or neutralizing inflammatory cytokines in the serum. Our aim was to measure the contribution of hepatic stellate cells (HSC)…