Microbial translocation in liver fibrosis induces chronic IFNAR signaling that directly affects innate immune responses to systemic bacterial infection

A common clinical complication in patients with liver fibrosis or cirrhosis is exacerbations of bacterial infections, which often persist in these patients. In order to study the underlying pathophysiological cellular and molecular mechanisms in mice, we investigated the immune responses to Listeria infections in the context of liver fibrosis. Using the bile-duct ligation model for the induction of liver fibrosis in mice we found an enhanced susceptibility to Listeria infections leading to persistence of infection, recapitulating clinical situations in humans. While the innate clearance of Listeria in the spleen…