Prospects of elafibranor in treating alcohol-associated liver diseases

Alcohol-related liver disease(ALD),which is induced by excessive alcohol con-sumption,is a leading cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality.ALD pa-tients exhibit a spectrum of liver injuries,including hepatic steatosis,inflam-mation,and fibrosis,similar to symptoms of nonalcohol-associated liver diseases such as primary biliary cholangitis,metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease,and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.Elafibranor has been approved for the treatment of primary biliary cholangitis and has been shown to improve symptoms in both animal models and in vitro cell models of metabolic dysfunc-tion-associated steatotic liver disease and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.However,the efficacy of elafibranor in treating ALD remains unclear.In this article,we comment on the recent publication by Koizumi et al that evaluated the effects of elafibranor on liver fibrosis and gut barrier function in an ALD mouse model.Their findings indicate the potential of elafibranor for ALD treatment,but further experimental investigations and clinical trials are warranted.

Ferroptosis in liver diseases:Fundamental mechanism and clinical implications

This editorial discusses a recently published paper in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.Our research focuses on p53's regulatory mechanism for controlling ferroptosis,as well as the intricate connection between ferroptosis and liver diseases.Ferroptosis is a specific form of programmed cell death that is dependent on iron and displays unique features in terms of morphology,biology,and genetics,distinguishing it from other forms of cell death.Ferroptosis can affect the liver,which is a crucial organ responsible for iron storage and metabolism.Mounting evidence indicates a robust correlation between ferroptosis and the advancement of liver disorders.P53 has a dual effect on ferroptosis through various distinct signaling pathways.However,additional investigations are required to clarify the regulatory function of p53 metabolic targets in this complex association with ferroptosis.In the future,researchers should clarify the mechanisms by which ferroptosis and other forms of programmed cell death contribute to the progression of liver diseases.Identifying and controlling important regulatory factors associated with ferroptosis present a promising therapeutic strategy for liver disorders.

Ferritinophagy: A new idea for liver diseases regulated by ferroptosis

Background:The discovery of regulatory cell death has led to a breakthrough in the therapeutic field.Various forms of cell death,such as necrosis,apoptosis,pyroptosis,autophagy,and ferroptosis,play an important role in the development of liver diseases.In general,more than one form of cell death pathways is responsible for the disease state.Therefore,it is particularly important to study the regulation and interaction of various cell death forms in liver diseases.Data sources:We performed a PubMed search up to November 2022 with the following keywords:ferritinophagy,ferroptosis,and liver disease.We also used terms such as signal path,inducer,and inhibitor to supplement the query results.Results:This review summarized the basic characteristics of ferritinophagy and ferroptosis and the regulation of ferroptosis by ferritinophagy and reviewed the key targets and treatment strategies of ferroptosis in different liver diseases.Conclusions:Ferritinophagy is a potential therapeutic target in ferroptosis-related liver diseases.

Immune remodulation in pediatric inherited metabolic liver diseases

Inherited metabolic liver diseases arise from genetic mutations that lead to dis-ruptions in liver metabolic pathways and are predominantly observed in pedia-tric populations.The spectrum of genetic metabolic liver disorders is diverse,encompassing a range of conditions associated with aberrations in iron,copper,carbohydrate,lipid,protein,and amino acid metabolism.Historically,research in the domain of genetic metabolic liver diseases has predominantly concentrated on hepatic parenchymal cell alterations.Nevertheless,emerging studies suggest that inherited metabolic liver diseases exert significant influences on the immune microenvironment,both within the liver and systemically.This review endeavors to encapsulate the immunological features of genetic metabolic liver diseases,aiming to expand the horizons of researchers in this discipline,and to elucidate the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms pertinent to hereditary metabolic liver diseases and to propose innovative therapeutic approaches.

Interleukin-mediated therapies in liver diseases and comorbidity effects

Cytokines like interleukins(ILs)play important roles in inflammation and innate immune.Yang and Zhang carried out an interesting study related to ILs and hepatic diseases.They described the role of ILs in the pathogenesis and resolution of hepatic disorders.The authors summarized alcohol-related liver disease and virus-induced hepatitis,as far as clinical studies a fortiori carried out on ILmediated treatments pertaining to these dysfunctions.This editorial contributes to the review by Yang and Zhang titled,"Interleukins in liver disease treatment",and focuses on therapies mediated by ILs in comorbid liver diseases.The documentary search was conducted on recent pertinent literature,primarily using the Google Scholar and PubMed databases.

Characterization of acute-on-chronic liver diseases: A multicenter prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND Acute-on-chronic liver disease(AoCLD)accounts for the majority of patients hospitalized in the Department of Hepatology or Infectious Diseases.AIM To explore the characterization of AoCLD to provide theoretical guidance for the accurate diagnosis and prognosis of AoCLD.METHODS Patients with AoCLD from the Chinese Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure(ACLF)study cohort were included in this study.The clinical characteristics and outcomes,and the 90-d survival rate associated with each clinical type of AoCLD were analyzed,using the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test.RESULTS A total of 3375 patients with AoCLD were enrolled,including 1679(49.7%)patients with liver cirrhosis acute decompensation(LC-AD),850(25.2%)patients with ACLF,577(17.1%)patients with chronic hepatitis acute exacer-bation(CHAE),and 269(8.0%)patients with liver cirrhosis active phase(LC-A).The most common cause of chronic liver disease(CLD)was HBV infection(71.4%).The most common precipitants of AoCLD was bacterial infection(22.8%).The 90-d mortality rates of each clinical subtype of AoCLD were 43.4%(232/535)for type-C ACLF,36.0%(36/100)for type-B ACLF,27.0%(58/215)for type-A ACLF,9.0%(151/1679)for LC-AD,3.0%(8/269)for LC-A,and 1.2%(7/577)for CHAE.CONCLUSION HBV infection is the main cause of CLD,and bacterial infection is the main precipitant of AoCLD.The most common clinical type of AoCLD is LC-AD.Early diagnosis and timely intervention are needed to reduce the mortality of patients with LC-AD or ACLF.

Dynamic changes and clinical value of lipocalin 2 in liver diseases caused by microbial infections

Lipocalin 2(LCN2)plays a pivotal role in iron metabolism,particularly in the context of microbial infection resistance(e.g.,viruses,bacteria,parasites,etc.).LCN2 combats microbial infection by directly assisting the body in competing with microorganisms for iron,inducing immune cells to secrete various cytokines to enhance systemic immune responses,or recruiting neutrophils to infectious sites.The liver serves as the primary organ for LCN2 secretion during microbial infections.This review encapsulates recent advances in dynamic changes,clinical values,and the effects of LCN2 in infectious liver diseases caused by various microbial microorganisms.

Insights of gut-liver axis in hepatic diseases:Mechanisms,clinical implications,and therapeutic potentials

With the rising prevalence of chronic liver diseases worldwide,there exists a need to diversify our artillery to incorporate a plethora of diagnostic and therapeutic methods to combat this disease.Currently,the most common causes of liver disease are non-alcoholic fatty liver disease,hepatitis,and alcoholic liver disease.Some of these chronic diseases have the potential to transform into hepatocellular carcinoma with advancing fibrosis.In this review,we analyse the relationship between the gut and liver and their significance in liver disease.This two-way relationship has interesting effects on each other in liver diseases.The gut microbiota,through its metabolites,influences the metabolism in numerous ways.Careful manipulation of its composition can lead to the discovery of numerous therapeutic potentials that can be applied in the treatment of various liver diseases.Numerous cohort studies with a pan-omics approach are required to understand the association between the gut microbiome and hepatic disease progression through which we can identify effective ways to deal with this issue.

Predicting colorectal adenomatous polyps in patients with chronic liver disease: A novel nomogram

BACKGROUND Colorectal polyps are commonly observed in patients with chronic liver disease(CLD)and pose a significant clinical concern because of their potential for malignancy.AIM To explore the clinical characteristics of colorectal polyps in patients with CLD,a nomogram was established to predict the presence of adenomatous polyps(AP).METHODS Patients with CLD who underwent colonoscopy at Tianjin Second People’s Hospital from January 2020 to May 2023 were evaluated.Clinical data including laboratory results,colonoscopy findings,and pathology reports were collected.Key variables for the nomogram were identified through least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression,followed by multivariate logistic regression.The performance of the model was evaluated using the area under the receiver area under curve,as well as calibration curves and decision curve analysis.RESULTS The study enrolled 870 participants who underwent colonoscopy,and the detection rate of AP in patients with CLD was 28.6%.Compared to individuals without polyps,six risk factors were identified as predictors for AP occurrence:Age,male sex,body mass index,alcohol consumption,overlapping metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease,and serum ferritin levels.The novel nomogram(AP model)demonstrated an area under curve of 0.801(95%confidence interval:0.756-0.845)and 0.785(95%confidence interval:0.712-0.858)in the training and validation groups.Calibration curves indicated good agreement among predicted and actual probabilities(training:χ^(2)=11.860,P=0.157;validation:χ^(2)=7.055,P=0.530).The decision curve analysis underscored the clinical utility of the nomogram for predicting the risk of AP.CONCLUSION The AP model showed reasonable accuracy and provided a clinical foundation for predicting the occurrence of AP in patients with CLD,which has a certain predictive value.

Imaging characteristics of hypervascular focal nodular hyperplasialike lesions in patients with chronic alcoholic liver disease

BACKGROUND Focal nodular hyperplasia(FNH)-like lesions are hyperplastic formations in patients with micronodular cirrhosis and a history of alcohol abuse.Although pathologically similar to hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)lesions,they are benign.As such,it is important to develop methods to distinguish between FNH-like lesions and HCC.AIM To evaluate diagnostically differential radiological findings between FNH-like lesions and HCC.METHODS We studied pathologically confirmed FNH-like lesions in 13 patients with alco-holic cirrhosis[10 men and 3 women;mean age:54.5±12.5(33-72)years]who were negative for hepatitis-B surface antigen and hepatitis-C virus antibody and underwent dynamic computed tomography(CT)and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),including superparamagnetic iron oxide(SPIO)and/or gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI.Seven patients also underwent angiography-assisted CT.RESULTS The evaluated lesion features included arterial enhancement pattern,washout appearance(low density compared with that of surrounding liver parenchyma),signal intensity on T1-weighted image(T1WI)and T2-weighted image(T2WI),central scar presence,chemical shift on in-and out-of-phase images,and uptake pattern on gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI hepatobiliary phase and SPIO-enhanced MRI.Eleven patients had multiple small lesions(<1.5 cm).Radiological features of FNH-like lesions included hypervascularity despite small lesions,lack of“corona-like”enhancement in the late phase on CT during hepatic angiography(CTHA),high-intensity on T1WI,slightly high-or iso-intensity on T2WI,no signal decrease in out-of-phase images,and complete SPIO uptake or incomplete/partial uptake of gadoxetic acid.Pathologically,similar to HCC,FNH-like lesions showed many unpaired arteries and sinusoidal capillarization.CONCLUSION Overall,the present study showed that FNH-like lesions have unique radiological findings useful for differential diagnosis.Specifically,SPIO-and/or gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI and CTHA features might facilitate differential diagnosis of FNH-like lesions and HCC.

Fanlian Huazhuo formula:A promising therapeutic approach for metabolic associated steatotic liver disease

This article reviews the study,“Fanlian huazhuo formula alleviates high-fat-dietinduced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by modulating autophagy and lipid synthesis signaling pathway”published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.The study explores the therapeutic potential of Fanlian Huazhuo formula(FLHZF)in treating metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease(MASLD),demonstrating that FLHZF reduces lipid accumulation,oxidative stress,and liver injury in MASLD models by modulating key signaling pathways involved in lipid metabolism and autophagy.This editorial emphasizes the potential of FLHZF as a treatment for MASLD and calls for further research to verify its clinical efficacy.

Elafibranor:A promising therapeutic approach for liver fibrosis and gut barrier dysfunction in alcohol-associated liver disease

This article discusses the recent study written by Koizumi et al.Alcohol-associated liver disease(ALD)is a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality,which is driven by complex mechanisms,including lipid accumulation,apoptosis,and inflammatory responses exacerbated by gut barrier dysfunction.The study explored the therapeutic potential of elafibranor,a dual peroxisome proliferatoractivated receptor alpha/delta agonist.In clinical trials,elafibranor has shown promise for the treatment of other liver conditions;however,its effects on ALD remain unclear.The authors’findings indicate that elafibranor significantly reduced liver fibrosis and enhanced gut barrier integrity in patients with ALD.These positive effects of elafibranor are mediated through multiple pathways.Elafibranor promotes lipid metabolism,reduces oxidative stress,and inhibits inflammatory responses by restoring gut barrier function.Specifically,it improves hepatocyte function by enhancing autophagic and antioxidant capacity,and it mitigates inflammation by suppressing the lipopolysaccharide/toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway.These findings indicate that elafibranor has promising clinical applications.In addition,the study highlights elafibranor’s potential as a therapeutic agent for liver diseases,particularly ALD.This article underscores the importance of understanding the mechanistic pathways underlying ALD and suggests directions for future research aimed at elucidating the benefits and limitations of elafibranor.

Linking fatty liver diseases to hepatocellular carcinoma by hepatic stellate cells

Hepatic stellate cells(HSCs),a distinct category of non-parenchymal cells in the liver,are critical for liver homeostasis.In healthy livers,HSCs remain non-proliferative and quiescent.However,under conditions of acute or chronic liver damage,HSCs are activated and participate in the progression and regulation of liver diseases such as liver fibrosis,cirrhosis,and liver cancer.Fatty liver diseases(FLD),including nonalcoholic(NAFLD)and alcoholrelated(ALD),are common chronic inflammatory conditions of the liver.These diseases,often resulting from multiple metabolic disorders,can progress through a sequence of inflammation,fibrosis,and ultimately,cancer.In this review,we focused on the activation and regulatory mechanism of HSCs in the context of FLD.We summarized the molecular pathways of activated HSCs(aHSCs)in mediating FLD and their role in promoting liver tumor development from the perspectives of cell proliferation,invasion,metastasis,angiogenesis,immunosuppression,and chemo-resistance.We aimed to offer an in-depth discussion on the reciprocal regulatory interactions between FLD and HSC activation,providing new insights for researchers in this field.

Physiology and health assessment,risk balance,and model for endstage liver disease scores:Postoperative outcome of liver transplantation

BACKGROUND Liver transplantation aims to increase the survival of patients with end-stage liver diseases and improve their quality of life.The number of organs available for transplantation is lower than the demand.To provide fair organ distribution,predictive mortality scores have been developed.AIM To compare the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation IV(APACHE IV),balance of risk(BAR),and model for end-stage liver disease(MELD)scores as predictors of mortality.METHODS Retrospective cohort study,which included 283 adult patients in the postoperative period of deceased donor liver transplantation from 2014 to 2018.RESULTS The transplant recipients were mainly male,with a mean age of 58.1 years.Donors were mostly male,with a mean age of 41.6 years.The median cold ischemia time was 3.1 hours,and the median intensive care unit stay was 5 days.For APACHE IV,a mean of 59.6 was found,BAR 10.7,and MELD 24.2.The 28-day mortality rate was 9.5%,and at 90 days,it was 3.5%.The 28-day mortality prediction for APACHE IV was very good[area under the curve(AUC):0.85,P<0.001,95%CI:0.76-0.94],P<0.001,BAR(AUC:0.70,P<0.001,95%CI:0.58–0.81),and MELD(AUC:0.66,P<0.006,95%CI:0.55-0.78),P<0.008.At 90 days,the data for APACHE IV were very good(AUC:0.80,P<0.001,95%CI:0.71–0.90)and moderate for BAR and MELD,respectively,(AUC:0.66,P<0.004,95%CI:0.55–0.77),(AUC:0.62,P<0.026,95%CI:0.51–0.72).All showed good discrimination between deaths and survivors.As for the best value for liver transplantation,it was significant only for APACHE IV(P<0.001).CONCLUSION The APACHE IV assessment score was more accurate than BAR and MELD in predicting mortality in deceased donor liver transplant recipients.

Lesson learnt from 60 years of liver transplantation:Advancements,challenges,and future directions

Over the past six decades,liver transplantation(LT)has evolved from an experimental procedure into a standardized and life-saving intervention,reshaping the landscape of organ transplantation.Driven by pioneering breakthroughs,technological advancements,and a deepened understanding of immunology,LT has seen remarkable progress.Some of the most notable breakthroughs in the field include advances in immunosuppression,a revised model for end-stage liver disease,and artificial intelligence(AI)-integrated imaging modalities serving diagnostic and therapeutic roles in LT,paired with ever-evolving technological advances.Additionally,the refinement of transplantation procedures,resulting in the introduction of alternative transplantation methods,such as living donor LT,split LT,and the use of marginal grafts,has addressed the challenge of organ shortage.Moreover,precision medicine,guiding personalized immunosuppressive strategies,has significantly improved patient and graft survival rates while addressing emergent issues,such as short-term complications and early allograft dysfunction,leading to a more refined strategy and enhanced postoperative recovery.Looking ahead,ongoing research explores regenerative medicine,diagnostic tools,and AI to optimize organ allocation and posttransplantation car.In summary,the past six decades have marked a transformative journey in LT with a commitment to advancing science,medicine,and patient-centered care,offering hope and extending life to individuals worldwide.

Assessment of natural and interleukin-2-induced production of interferon-gamma in patients with liver diseases

AIMS To clarify whether the lower interferon gamma (IFNγ) production by lymphocytes in patients with liver diseases is due to defects of lymphocytes themselves or of other cofactors such as interleukin-2(IL-2). METHODS Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with various liver diseases were cultured with or without PHA and IL-2. The cells were harvested and counted and the su- pernatants were tested for IFNγ by a sensitive and quantitative ABC-ELISA. RESULTS IFNγ was not round in serum samples from patients as well as normal individuals. However,in supernatants of non-in- duced and induced PBMCs,IFN7 was detected by ABC-ELISA. In non-induced PBMCs (group 1),the content of IFNγ in super- natants from control,CAH,CPH and HCC was 8.72 μg/L, 5.03 μg/L,6.02 μg/L and 4.91 μg/L respectively. The pro- duction of IFNγ in liver disease was significantly decreased,com- pared to control. In group 2 in which PBMCs were stimulated with PHA,the content of IFNγ was 22.71,17.12,14.54 and 17.63 μg/L respectively. In group 3 in which PBMCs were in- duced by IL-2,the amount of IFN7 in supernatant from control (60.67 μg/L) was much larger than those from CAH (21.70 μg/ L),CPH (24.00 μg/L) and HCC (19.15 μg/L) (P<0.01). Comparing the amount of IFNγ in group 3 (IL-2-induced) with that in group 1 (non-induced),we found that IFNγ production was en- hanced by nearly 4 folds in liver diseases and by over 7 folds in control,Whereas the number of PBMCs,whether from liver dis- eases or from control,was increased by only approximately 3 folds. CONCLUSIONS The decreased production of IFNγ in liver dis- eases including HCC is mainly due to endogenous defects of lym- phocytes though the defects of stimulating cofactors such as IL-2 may also be involved.

Inflammation and fibrosis in chronic liver diseases including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and hepatitis C

At present chronic liver disease(CLD),the third commonest cause of premature death in the United Kingdom is detected late,when interventions are ineffective,resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality.Injury to the liver,the largest solid organ in the body,leads to a cascade of inflammatory events.Chronic inflammation leads to the activation of hepatic stellate cells that undergo transdifferentiation to become myofibroblasts,the main extra-cellular matrix producing cells in the liver;over time increased extra-cellular matrix production results in the formation of liver fibrosis.Although fibrogenesis may be viewed as having evolved as a“wound healing”process that preserves tissue integrity,sustained chronic fibrosis can become pathogenic culminating in CLD,cirrhosis and its associated complications.As the reference standard for detecting liver fibrosis,liver biopsy,is invasive and has an associated morbidity,the diagnostic assessment of CLD by non-invasive testing is attractive.Accordingly,in this review the mechanisms by which liver inflammation and fibrosis develop in chronic liver diseases are explored to identify appropriate and meaningful diagnostic targets for clinical practice.Due to differing disease prevalence and treatment efficacy,disease specific diagnostic targets are required to optimally manage individual CLDs such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and chronic hepatitis C infection.To facilitate this,a review of the pathogenesis of both conditions is also conducted.Finally,the evidence for hepatic fibrosis regression and the mechanisms by which this occurs are discussed,including the current use of antifibrotic therapy.

Hypoxia,angiogenesis and liver fibrogenesis in the progression of chronic liver diseases

Angiogenesis is a dynamic,hypoxia-stimulated and growth factor-dependent process,and is currently referred to as the formation of new vessels from preexisting blood vessels.Experimental and clinical studies have unequivocally reported that hepatic angiogenesis,irrespective of aetiology,occurs in conditions of chronic liver diseases(CLDs) characterized by perpetuation of cell injury and death,inflammatory response and progressive fibrogenesis.Angiogenesis and related changes in liver vascular architecture,that in turn concur to increase vascular resistance and portal hypertension and to decrease parenchymal perfusion,have been proposed to favour fibrogenic progression of the disease towards the end-point of cirrhosis.Moreover,hepatic angiogenesis has also been proposed to modulate the genesis of portal-systemic shunts and increase splanchnic blood flow,thus potentially affecting complications of cirrhosis.Hepatic angiogenesis is also crucial for the growth and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma.Recent literature has identified a number of cellular and molecular mechanisms governing the cross-talk between angiogenesis and fibrogenesis,with a specifi c emphasis on the crucial role of hypoxic conditions and hepatic stellate cells,particularly when activated to the myofibroblast-like pro-fibrogenic.Experimental anti-angiogenic therapy has been proven to be effective in limiting the progression of CLDs in animal models.From a clinical point of view,anti-angiogenic therapy is currently emerging as a new pharmacologic intervention in patients with advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis.

PTEN in liver diseases and cancer

The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)/Akt axis is a key signal transduction node that regulates crucial cellular functions, including insulin and other growth factors signaling, lipid and glucose metabolism, as well as cell survival and apoptosis. In this pathway, PTEN acts as a phosphoinositide phosphatase, which terminates PI3Kpropagated signaling by dephosphorylating PtdIns(3,4)P2 and PtdIns(3,4,5)P3. However, the role of PTEN does not appear to be restricted only to PI3K signaling antagonism, and new functions have been recently discovered for this protein. In addition to the well-established role of PTEN as a tumor suppressor, increasing evidence now suggests that a dysregulated PTEN expression and/or activity is also linked to the development of several hepatic pathologies. Dysregulated PTEN expression/activity is observed with obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, hepatitis B virus/hepatitis C virus infections, and abusive alcohol consumption, whereas mutations/deletions have also been associated with the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma. Thus, it appears that alterations of PTEN expression and activity in hepatocytes are common and recurrent molecular events associated with liver disorders of various etiologies. These recent f indings suggest that PTEN might represent a potential common therapeutic target for a number of liver pathologies.

Toll-like receptors in pathophysiology of liver diseases

Toll-like receptors(TLRs) are pattern recognition receptors that participate in host defense by recognizing pathogen-associated molecular patterns alongside inflammatory processes by recognizing damage associated molecular patterns. Given constant exposure to pathogens from gut, strict control of TLR-associated signaling pathways is essential in the liver, which otherwise may lead to inappropriate production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and interferons and may generate a predisposition to several autoimmune and chronic inflammatory diseases. The liver is considered to be a site of tolerance induction rather than immunity induction, with specificity in hepatic cell functions and distribution of TLR. Recent data emphasize significant contribution of TLR signaling in chronic liver diseases via complex immune responses mediating hepatocyte(i.e., hepatocellular injury and regeneration) or hepatic stellate cell(i.e., fibrosis and cirrhosis) inflammatory or immune pathologies. Herein, we review the available data on TLR signaling, hepatic expression of TLRs and associated ligands, as well as the contribution of TLRs to the pathophysiology of hepatic diseases.