Role of Toll-like receptor impairment in cirrhosis infection risk: are we making progress?

摘要

Given our recent paper on toll-like receptors (TLR) in alcoholic liver disease (1), we now review the role of TLR impairment in cirrhosis infection risk. In our study (1), patients with stable alcoholic chronic liver disease showed an attenuated TLR2-mediated innate immune response. We found an impaired TLR4 response only in our unstable patients. A recent study by Testro et at. (2) observed an impairment of TLR4 function in advanced cirrhosis, but dependent on decreased TLR4 levels. This process was reversible with antibiotics.In our review of the literature of this subject, we found some contradictory results (Table 1).