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Volume 42 Issue 7
Jul.  2026
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Article Navigation >  Journal of Clinical Hepatology  > 2026  >  42(7): 1723-1729

Mechanism of action and clinical significance of altered intestinal permeability in liver diseases

DOI: 10.12449/JCH260733

  • Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery，The First People’s Hospital of Kunming/The Affiliated Ganmei Hospital of Kunming Medical University，Kunming 650100，China

Research funding:

Major Science and Technology Special Project of Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Department (202302AA310018-F-4)

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  • Corresponding author: Chen Gang， kmcg123@163.com （ORCID： 0000-0003-1293-4946）
  • Received Date: 2025-11-06
  • Accepted Date: 2025-12-23
  • Published Date: 2026-07-25
    Abstract
  • Intestinal permeability plays a pivotal role in the gut-liver axis and has emerged as a critical target for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases. Based on recent studies in China and globally， this article reviews the definitions and interrelationship of intestinal barrier function and intestinal permeability， the methods for assessing intestinal permeability， and the mechanism of action and clinical significance of intestinal permeability in the development and progression of various liver diseases. Studies have shown that increased intestinal permeability is a significant hallmark and an important driving factor for multiple liver diseases， and this state leads to the translocation of bacteria and harmful substances， trigger a systemic inflammatory response， and thus exacerbates liver injury， fibrosis， and metabolic dysregulation. Therefore， it is closely associated with the development and progression of metabolic associated fatty liver disease， alcoholic liver disease， autoimmune liver diseases， and their end-stage events， including liver cirrhosis， liver failure， and hepatocellular carcinoma. Future research should focus on the standardization of assessment methods， the exploration of underlying mechanisms， and the clinical translation of these findings.

     

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