Application of Kupffer cells in immune tolerance and regulation after liver transplantation

With the development of organ transplantation techniques and the improvement of immunotherapies,liver transplantation( LT)has been developing rapidly and has become the most effective method for treating end- stage liver diseases. However,acute and chronic rejection reactions and ischemia- reperfusion injury occurring after LT are still the major influencing factors for successful LT and long- term survival rate. As the largest group of macrophages in human body,Kupffer cells( KCs) can secrete and release various inflammatory cytokines after LT,and thus play an important role in induction of apoptosis and differentiation of T lymphocytes and clearance of apoptotic cells.KCs play the dual role of promoting rejection response and inducing immune tolerance after LT,but the detailed mechanisms remain unclear.Therefore,investigation of the mechanisms of KCs in immune process after transplantation is very important for reducing rejection reaction and inducing immune tolerance after transplantation.