Hépato-Gastro & Oncologie Digestive
MENUAlcohol-related liver disease: from pathophysiology to the main therapeutic targets Volume 27, issue 6, Juin 2020
- Key words: alcohol hepatotoxicity, alcoholic liver disease, fatty liver, Kupffer's cells, liver fibrosis
- DOI : 10.1684/hpg.2020.1985
- Page(s) : 576-84
- Published in: 2020
Alcoholic liver disease includes several entities ranging from fatty liver to the end stage of fibrosis, the cirrhosis. It is a disease with a complex pathophysiological mechanism involving the toxic metabolites of ethanol, causing oxidative stress associated with a pro-inflammatory state linked to bacterial translocation and activation of the immune system. There are complex interactions between the environment, genetic risk factors and the immune system. Alcohol remains to this day a major public health problem linked to hepatic and extra hepatic morbidity and mortality, resulting in a significant health expenditure. Understanding the metabolism of ethanol and the pathophysiology of this disease makes it possible to address the main therapeutic targets such as corticosteroid therapy associated with N-acetylcysteine in alcoholic hepatitis.