Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 derived from biliary innate immunity contributes to hepatic fibrogenesis

Abstract

Bile ductules proliferate in various hepatobiliary diseases, and its significance is still unknown. This study demonstrated that BECs in bile ductules could produce MCP-1, particularly, via biliary innate immunity, suggesting that MCP-1 derived from BECs plays an important role in the recruitment of HSCs to interface areas and the activation of HSCs resulting in the progression of periportal fibrosis.