Dysfunctional neutrophil effector organelle mobilization and microbicidal protein release in alcohol-related cirrhosis.

Patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis (ALD) are prone to infection. Circulating neutrophils in ALD are dysfunctional and predict development of sepsis, organ dysfunction, and survival. Neutrophil granules are important effector organelles containing a toxic array of microbicidal proteins, whose controlled release is required to kill microorganisms while minimizing inflammation and damage to host tissue. We investigated the role of these granular responses in contributing to immune disarray in ALD. Neutrophil granular content and mobilization were measured by flow cytometric quantitation of cell-surface/intracellular markers, [secretory vesicles (CD11b), secondary granules (CD66b), and primary granules (CD63; myeloperoxidase)] before and after bacterial stimulation in 29 patients with ALD cirrhosis (15 abstinent; 14 actively drinking) compared with healthy controls (HC). ImageStream Flow Cytometry characterized localization of granule subsets within the intracellular and cell-surface compartments. The plasma cytokine environment was analyzed using ELISA/cytokine bead array. Circulating neutrophils were primed in the resting state with upregulated surface expression of CD11b (P = 0.0001) in a cytokine milieu rich in IL-8 (P < 0.001) and lactoferrin (P = 0.035). Neutrophils showed exaggerated mobilization to the cell surface of primary granules at baseline (P = 0.001) and in response to N-formyl-l-methionyl-l-leucyl-l-phenylalanine (P = 0.009) and Escherichia coli (P = 0.0003) in ALD. There was no deficit in granule content or mobilization to the cell membrane in any granule subset observed. Paradoxically, active alcohol consumption abrogated the hyperresponsive neutrophil granular responses compared with their abstinent counterparts. Neutrophils are preprimed at baseline with augmented effector organelle mobilization in response to bacterial stimulation; neutrophil degranulation is not a mechanism leading to innate immunoparesis in ALD.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Neutrophil granule release is dysregulated in patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis (ALD) with augmented effector organelle mobilization and microbiocidal protein release. Neutrophil granules are upregulated in ALD at baseline and demonstrate augmented responses to bacterial challenge. The granular responses in ALD did not contribute to the observed functional deficit in innate immunity but rather were dysregulated and hyperresponsive, which may induce bystander damage to host tissue. Paradoxically, active alcohol consumption abrogated the excessive neutrophil granular responses to bacterial stimulus compared with their abstinent counterparts.

Circulating neutrophil dysfunction in acute liver failure.

UNLABELLED: Systemic inflammation and susceptibility to developing sepsis is common in acute liver failure (ALF) resulting in tissue damage and organ failure. This study characterized the function of circulating neutrophils in 25 patients with ALF and subacute liver failure (SALF). ALF (n=15)/SALF (n=10) patients were prospectively studied and compared with 11 healthy (HC) and 6 septic controls (SC). Neutrophils were isolated on admission to intensive care and every 3-4 days until death / liver transplantation / recovery. Neutrophil phenotype was determined using fluorochrome-labeled antibodies to CD16 and CD11b and assessed by flow cytometry. Neutrophil phagocytic activity (NPA) was determined using fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled opsonized Escherichia coli and oxidative burst (OB) was determined by the percentage of neutrophils producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) at rest and after stimulation with opsonized E. coli. Physiological variables, biochemistry, arterial ammonia, microbiology, and outcomes were collected. Plasma pro- and antiinflammatory cytokine profiles were performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Neutrophil expression of CD16 which recognizes the FcγRIII region of immunoglobulin G was significantly reduced in the ALF cohort (P<0.001) on day 1 compared to HC. NPA was significantly impaired in the SALF cohort compared to HC (P<0.01). Impaired NPA in the ALF and SALF cohorts on admission predicted nonsurvival without liver transplantation (P=0.01). Spontaneous neutrophil production of ROS was not significantly increased in any of the cohorts. E. coli-stimulated OB was preserved in ALF/SALF cohorts but was significantly impaired in the SC group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Circulating neutrophils in ALF/SALF have impaired bacteriocidal function similar to that seen in severe sepsis. Neutrophil function indices are important biomarkers in ALF and may be implicated in the development of organ dysfunction and the increased susceptibility to developing sepsis.

Character and temporal evolution of apoptosis in acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure*.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of hepatocellular and extrahepatic apoptosis during the evolution of acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure. DESIGN AND SETTING: A prospective observational study in two tertiary liver transplant units. PATIENTS: Eighty-eight patients with acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure were recruited. Control groups included patients with nonacetaminophen-induced acute liver failure (n = 13), nonhepatic multiple organ failure (n = 28), chronic liver disease (n = 19), and healthy controls (n = 11). MEASUREMENTS: Total and caspase-cleaved cytokeratin-18 (M65 and M30) measured at admission and sequentially on days 3, 7, and 10 following admission. Levels were also determined from hepatic vein, portal vein, and systemic arterial blood in seven patients undergoing transplantation. Protein arrays of liver homogenates from patients with acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure were assessed for apoptosis-associated proteins, and histological assessment of liver tissue was performed. MAIN RESULTS: Admission M30 levels were significantly elevated in acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure and non-acetaminophen induced acute liver failure patients compared with multiple organ failure, chronic liver disease, and healthy controls. Admission M30 levels correlated with outcome with area under receiver operating characteristic of 0.755 (0.639-0.885, p < 0.001). Peak levels in patients with acute liver failure were seen at admission then fell significantly but did not normalize over 10 days. A negative gradient of M30 from the portal to hepatic vein was demonstrated in patients with acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure (p = 0.042) at the time of liver transplant. Analysis of protein array data demonstrated lower apoptosis-associated protein and higher catalase concentrations in acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure compared with controls (p < 0.05). Explant histological analysis revealed evidence of cellular proliferation with an absence of histological evidence of apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatocellular apoptosis occurs in the early phases of human acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure, peaking on day 1 of hospital admission, and correlates strongly with poor outcome. Hepatic regenerative/tissue repair responses prevail during the later stages of acute liver failure where elevated levels of M30 are likely to reflect epithelial cell death in extrahepatic organs.