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Table 2 Characteristics of liver cells and the common diseases associated with each cell type

From: Polymeric nanomedicines for the treatment of hepatic diseases

Live cell type

 

Functions

Related diseases

Parenchymal cells

Hepatocytes

Lipid, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism

Detoxification

Immune/inflammatory response

Secretion of lipoproteins, coagulation factor, growth factors, and cytokines

Ammonia and urea biosynthesis

Synthesis of cholesterol, bile salts and phospholipids

Start of bile formation and secretion

Viral hepatitis

Alcohol-induced steatohepatitis (ASH)

Non-alcohol steatohepatitis

HCC

Autoimmune diseases

Wilson’s disease

Hemochromatosis

α1 antitrypsin deficiency

Non-parenchymal cells

LESCs

Physical barrier and host defense

Scavenger function

Immune/inflammatory responses

Secretion of cytokines

Remove foreign materials and macromolecular waste

Hepatic veno-occlusive disease

KCs

Host defense

Immune/inflammatory response

Detoxification

Secretion of cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and proteolytic enzymes

Maintaining functional iron metabolism and bilirubin metabolism

Control cholesterol metabolism

HBV or HCV

Acute liver failure

Chronic liver injury

Metabolic and alcoholic liver disease

NASH

HCC

Cholestatic liver diseases

Liver fibrosis

HSCs

Vitamin A and lipid metabolism

Detoxification

Immune/inflammatory responses

Secretion of lipoproteins, growth factors, and cytokines

Liver fibrosis and cirrhosis

ASH, NASH, HCC

  1. HCC, hepatocellular carcinoma; LESCs, liver sinusoidal endothelial cells; KCs, Kupffer cells; HBV, hepatitis B virus; HCV, hepatitis C virus; NASH, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; HSCs, hepatic stellate cells; ASH, alcohol-induced steatohepatitis