Cellular adhesion molecules: regulation and functional significance in the pathogenesis of liver diseases

Adhesion molecules are cell surface glycoproteins that are critical for the localization of leukocytes at sites of inflammation. This review discusses the current knowledge of adhesion molecule expression in normal liver and its upregulation on individual liver cell types during liver inflammation. Cytokines, chemokines, complement factors, and lipid-derived mediators are critical for increased gene transcription and activation of constitutively expressed adhesion molecules. The specific role of selectins, integrins, and members of the immunoglobulin gene superfamily in sinusoidal and venular leukocyte sequestration, transendothelial migration, and adherence to target cells in the liver is described. Increased understanding of these basic mechanisms of communication between resident liver cells and infiltrating leukocytes (neutrophils, lymphocytes, macrophages) not only advances our insight into the pathophysiology of hepatic inflammation but also identifies promising new targets for therapeutic interventions and expands the spectrum of diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases, including alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, ischemia-reperfusion injury (transplantation, tumor resection, shock), sepsis- or endotoxin-induced liver injury acute and chronic rejection, primary biliary cirrhosis, and primary sclerosing cholangitis.