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Frontiers of Medicine >> 2018, Volume 12, Issue 3 doi: 10.1007/s11684-018-0622-3

NKT cells in liver diseases

1. CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, School of Life Sciences and Medical Center, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China.

2. Innovation Center for Cell Signaling Network, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Hefei 230027, China

Available online: 2018-05-04

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Abstract

Natural killer T cells are innate-like and tissue-resident lymphocytes, which recognize lipid antigens and are enriched in the liver. Natural killer T cells play important roles in infections, tumors, autoimmune diseases, and metabolic diseases. In this study, we summarize recent findings on biology of natural killer T cells and their roles in hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection, autoimmune liver diseases, alcoholic liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Controversial results from previous studies are discussed, and indicate the dynamic alteration in the role of natural killer T cells during the progression of liver diseases, which might be caused by changes in natural killer T subsets, factors skewing cytokine responses, and intercellular crosstalk between natural killer T cells and CD1d-expressing cells or bystander cells.

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