Up-regulation of interleukin-22 mediates liver fibrosis via activating hepatic stellate cells in patients with hepatitis C.

Li-Yuan Wu, Shuhong Liu, Yuan Liu, Chaonan Guo, Hanwei Li, Wenshu Li, Xueyuan Jin, Keming Zhang, Ping Zhao, Lai Wei, Jingmin Zhao

Index: Clin. Immunol. 158 , 77-87, (2015)

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Abstract

Interleukin-22 (IL-22) is known to play a critical role in liver immunity. However, the role of IL-22 in HCV-associated liver fibrosis is poorly understood. In this study, patients with HCV infection disclosed significant increases in peripheral numbers of IL-22-producing cells as well as in IL-22 plasma levels. In the liver, the increased intrahepatic IL-22(+) cells were positively correlated with fibrotic staging scores and clinical progression from CHC to cirrhosis. Moreover, the majority of IL-22(+) cells were located in fibrotic areas in the liver of patients with cirrhosis and co-localized with α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) positive hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). In vitro, administration of IL-22 was accompanied with inhibited LX-2 cell apoptosis, promoted LX-2 cell proliferation, increased expression of α-SMA, and up-regulated collagen production by LX-2 cells. Collectively, our data provide evidence that IL-22 may contribute to the fibrogenesis of HCV-associated liver fibrosis by activating HSCs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.