Complement Biomarkers for Alcoholic Liver Disease Research

Posted on: May 17, 2021

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Complement Biomarkers for Alcoholic Hepatitis

The complement system is a critical component of the immune system that aids in the body’s defense against bacterial and/or viral infections. However, excessive activation of the complement system can result in uncontrolled inflammatory responses leading to organ damage, e.g. liver injury.

It was previously believed that in Alcoholic Hepatitis (AH), hepatocellular injury is the result of the direct deleterious effects of ethanol on liver cells by inducing oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Recent studies have shown that complement activation may also play a role in the pathogenesis AH. Complement factors are therefore attractive candidates for biomarkers in research studies that may indicate severity of disease and predict response to therapies for the treatment of AH.

Moreover, components of the complement pathway could also be potential targets for therapeutic intervention themselves.