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How does liver disease lead to cirrhosis? |
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We put this to Graeme Alexander: Graeme - The liver cells are part of a complicated organ - the liver - where there’s lots of different types of cells. There’s another cell sitting next to the liver cell called a stellate cell and there are signals sent out by an injured liver cell to those stellate cells which scar the liver. So the liver ends up being scarred in exactly the same way as someone who’s had an operation and there’s a scar on their skin, but this scar is spread finely and diffusely throughout the whole liver. |
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December 2009 |
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MeeraM asked the Naked Scientists:
hi there, I would like to know how chronic liver disease can lead to cirrhosis of the liver?
I know that it is related to the pace at which our immune response acts, that is by having a rapid break down of Hepatitis B means that you develop liver failure, but having a slow break down mean you develop inflammation of the liver - cirrhosis.
Many thanks
Meera M
What do you think?
- Meera Makwana - 2nd Mar 09
rapid breakdown by the virus means that ur liver cells are killed, they lyse and dump all their contents = liver failure. chronically it is ur immune sytem killing away the infected cells and these as any other injury leave behind a scar- fibrosis of the liver which is cirrhosis... when ur own body attacks itself to fix something the cell contents are mostly not releases into the surroundings. it's either done by apoptosis or by phagocytosis.... - rex789 - 18th Mar 09
http://www.umm.edu/liver/chronic.htm - Chemistry4me - 19th Mar 09
Liver is a important organ of human body, but people frequently come across different types of liver problems. Good diet can help in the proper functioning of your liver. Spam removed
See the whole discussion | Make a comment- allisha - 4th Feb 12
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