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REVIEW article

Front. Immunol.
Sec. Immunological Tolerance and Regulation
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1445634
This article is part of the Research Topic Adaptive Immune Regulation of Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) View all articles

Immune system dysregulation in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: unveiling the critical role of T and B lymphocytes

Provisionally accepted
Merve Çebi Merve Çebi 1Yusuf YILMAZ Yusuf YILMAZ 2,3*
  • 1 Department of Medical Biology, School of Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, Türkiye
  • 2 Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, Türkiye
  • 3 The Global NASH Council, Washington, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), characterized by the excessive accumulation of fat within the cytoplasm of hepatocytes (exceeding 5% of liver weight) in individuals without significant alcohol consumption, has rapidly evolved into a pressing global health issue, affecting approximately 25% of the world population. This condition, closely associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome, encompasses a spectrum of liver disorders ranging from simple steatosis without inflammation to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhotic liver disease. Recent research has illuminated the complex interplay between metabolic and immune responses in the pathogenesis of NASH, underscoring the critical role played by T and B lymphocytes. These immune cells not only contribute to necroinflammatory changes in hepatic lobules but may also drive the onset and progression of liver fibrosis. This narrative review aims to provide a comprehensive exploration of the effector mechanisms employed by T cells, B cells, and their respective subpopulations in the pathogenesis of NASH. Understanding the immunological complexity of NASH holds profound implications for the development of targeted immunotherapeutic strategies to combat this increasingly prevalent and burdensome metabolic liver disease.

    Keywords: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, Fibrosis, Inflammation, Pathogenesis

    Received: 07 Jun 2024; Accepted: 22 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Çebi and YILMAZ. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Yusuf YILMAZ, Department of Gastroenterology, School of Medicine, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Rize, Türkiye

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.