Paediatric and adult non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) pathogenia: lymphocyte populations characterisation in the liver microenvironment

DE MATTEO E; MULLEN E; GALOPPO M; VALVA P; GIADANS C; PEDREIRA A; BERTOT G; CAIROLI V; CASCIATO PC; LEZAMA C; PRECIADO MV

Congreso; Virtual 32nd Congress of the ESP and XXXIII International Congress of the IAP; 2020

European Society of Pathology

The immune system is one of the main drivers of NAFLD pathogenesis. The role of each liver lymphocyte population of the infiltrate in the pathogenesis is uncertain. Aim: to characterize liver infiltrate in relation to histological damage in NAFLD patients.Twenty-six paediatric [11.5 yrs (4-17)] and 34 adult NAFLD patients [50 yrs (28-72)] were enrolled. On liver biopsies histological changes as well as T helpers Lymphocyte (Th), Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes (CTL), Regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg) and Th17 localization and frequency were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Statistical analysis were performed to assess the relation between the immune response and the observed damage.Portal-periportal-CTL and -Th frequencies were similar in paediatric and adult NAFLD cases. Th17 seemed to be nearly exclusive of this location. In children Treg and Th17 counts were comparable, but in adults Tregs were higher than Th17 cells. In intralobular area CTL>Th>Treg predominance was observed both age group. Comparison between them demonstrated higher portal-periportal-Treg (p