CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE

Course overview

CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE IS A PROGRESSIVE DETERIORATION OF LIVER FUNCTIONS. LIVER FUNCTIONS INCLUDE THE PRODUCTION OF CLOTTING FACTORS AND OTHER PROTEINS, DETOXIFICATION OF HARMFUL PRODUCTS OF METABOLISM, AND EXCRETION OF BILE. THIS IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS OF INFLAMMATION, DESTRUCTION, AND REGENERATION OF LIVER PARENCHYMA LEADING TO FIBROSIS AND CIRRHOSIS. CIRRHOSIS IS A FINAL STAGE OF CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE THAT RESULTS IN DISRUPTION OF LIVER ARCHITECTURE, THE FORMATION OF WIDESPREAD NODULES, VASCULAR REORGANIZATION, NEO-ANGIOGENESIS, AND DEPOSITION OF AN EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX. THE UNDERLYING MECHANISM OF FIBROSIS AND CIRRHOSIS AT A CELLULAR LEVEL IS THE RECRUITMENT OF STELLATE CELLS AND FIBROBLASTS THAT CAUSE FIBROSIS, WHILE PARENCHYMAL REGENERATION RELIES ON HEPATIC STEM CELLS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE HEALTHCARE TEAM IN EVALUATING AND TREATING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.