Researchers from Shanghai Renji Hospital have made a major
breakthrough with American scientists in discovering how the immune
system works to prevent non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The discovery was published on this month's Hepatology, a world
leading medical journal on liver diseases.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can affect anyone but
is more often found in middle-aged people suffering from obesity,
diabetes or high cholesterol levels.
Because of unhealthy lifestyles and rich diets, NAFLD has become
the leading chronic liver disease in developed countries and the
second leading disease in developing countries.
The discovery by the researchers from Renji Hospital shows that
the regulatory T cell, an immunity system cell, plays an important
role in preventing the deterioration of the liver. It is the first
time that scientists have found a connection between the cell and
the disease.
"Controlling the deterioration of the liver is a key in
preventing liver damages," said Dr. Ma Xiong from Renji Hospital's
digestive medicine department and the vice director of the Shanghai
Digestive Disease Institute.
The research launched by Dr. Ma's group and a medical team from
the Johns Hopkins University's School of Medicine in the US, found
that regulatory T cells are involved in the liver function.
Patients with fatty hepatitis have a lower amount of regulatory T
cells compared with other people.
"The research may lead to drugs that can control fatty liver by
targeting regulatory T cells," Dr. Ma said.
(Shanghai Daily November 29, 2007)