The macrophage activation marker sCD163 is associated with morphological disease stages in patients with non alcoholic fatty liver disease
Macrophage activation plays a key pathogenic role in experimental non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and contributes to the progression of steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis. We studied macrophage activation in human NAFLD by measuring soluble (s)CD163, a specific macrophage activation marker, hypothesizing that sCD163 would be associated with the patients' morphological disease grade. Furthermore, we investigated an association between sCD163 and the apoptosis marker cytokeratin 18 (CK 18) to explore a link between macrophage activation and apoptosis.
Liver international official journal of the International Association for the Study of the Liver