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Figure 1: Architecture of the liver: sinusoids, hepatocytes and immune cells. LSEC form a fenestrated monolayer within the sinusoidal endothelium. HSC: hepatic
stellate cells; NK: natural killer; KC: Kupffer cells; LSEC: liver sinusoidal endothelial cells; DC: dendritic cells

Figure 2: The estimated frequency of each population relative to the total number of parenchymal and nonparenchymal cells in the liver. NK: natural killer; TCR:
T-cell receptor
periportal area. Together sinusoidal endothelial natural response to illness. One might therefore ask
cells and resident dendritic cells represent the liver what the balance is between the amount of cytokines
antigen presenting cells. Lymphocytes are scattered and these natural cytokine inhibitors in disease and
throughout the parenchyma and portal tracts, and whether disease can result, at least in part, from
include conventional and unconventional T cells. A the failure to produce sufficient amounts of these
low frequency of B cells and abundance of natural inhibitors. For instance, the principle agonist forms of
killer (NK) are also characteristic of the liver immune the interleukin (IL)-1 family are IL-1α and IL-1β. A third
microenvironment. [13] member of the IL-1 family, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-
1ra), is also induced during inflammatory responses
Cytokine inhibitors, regardless of the mechanism by [Figure 3] but has preventive effect against the
[14]
which they block the action of cytokines, appear to binding of IL-1α and β to their receptors IL-1ra is
be the host’s own defense against the cytokines. The required to be in approximately 100-fold excess to
finding of elevated plasma concentrations of cytokines inhibit IL-1α or IL-1β effectively; that is why IL-1ra
antagonist in patients with various diseases suggests is produced in greater amounts and is present at
that antagonism to cytokines is part of the host’s greater concentration matched with rare occurrence

Hepatoma Research | Volume 2 | June 1, 2016 133