November 2019

​A defect in endothelial autophagy occurs in patients with alcoholic steatohepatitis and promotes inflammation and fibrosis

 Hammoutene A, Biquard L, Lasselin J, Kheloufi M, Tanguy M, Vion AC, Mérian J, Colnot N, Loyer X, Tedgui A, Codogno P, Lotersztajn S, Paradis V, Boulanger CM, Rautou PE.
J Hepatol. 2019 Nov.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the liver manifestation of the metabolic syndrome. NAFLDencompasses a spectrum of histological lesions ranging from simple steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which includes, in addition to steatosis, hepatocellular injury, inflammation, and varying degree of fibrosis, and can progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer. We recently demonstrated that autophagy is defective in liver endothelial cells of patients with NASH and that this defect is induced by inflammatory mediators present in the portal blood of patients with metabolic syndrome
We also demonstrated that deficiency in autophagy induces liver endothelial cell alterations responsible for liver inflammation, liver cell death and liver fibrosis, thus promoting NASH development .