Th17 cells in the liver: balancing autoimmunity and pathogen defense.

Nobuhito Taniki, Nobuhiro Nakamoto, Po-Sung Chu, Masataka Ichikawa, Toshiaki Teratani, Takanori Kanai

Seminars in immunopathology 2022 Jul

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In addition to carcinogenesis, T helper 17 (Th17) cells (a subtype of CD4 + T lymphocytes) are involved in the acute, chronic, and cirrhotic phases of liver diseases; however, their role in the development and progression of liver diseases remains unclear. It is difficult to elucidate the role of Th17 cells in liver diseases due to their dichotomous nature, i.e., plasticity in terms of pathogenic or host protective function depending on environmental and time phase factors. Moreover, insufficient depletion of Th17 cells by inhibiting the cytokines and transcription factors involved in their production causes difficulties in analyzing their specific role in vitro and in vivo murine models, partially due to complex interaction. This review summarizes the recent progress in understanding the plasticity and function of hepatic Th17 cells and type 3 cytokines. © 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

Citation

Nobuhito Taniki, Nobuhiro Nakamoto, Po-Sung Chu, Masataka Ichikawa, Toshiaki Teratani, Takanori Kanai. Th17 cells in the liver: balancing autoimmunity and pathogen defense. Seminars in immunopathology. 2022 Jul;44(4):509-526