Hepatocyte dependent induction of regulatory T-cell subsets

Introduction: The liver is continuously exposed to exo- or endogenous antigens and toxins. Therefore, the liver is able to induce a tolerogenic environment. It is known that regulatory T cells have a pivotal role in inducing this immunotolerance. Several liver resident cells, like liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) or Kupffer cells (KCs), are able to induce regulatory T cells. Investigations showed that T cells and hepatocytes, the most abundant cell type within liver, are able to communicate directly through fenestrations in the sinusoidal endothelium. Therefore, we studied if the interaction between he…