Pathogenetic features of the hepatobiliary system damage in patients with metabolic syndrome

A review of articles covering the modern views on the hepatobiliary system damage features in patients with clinical manifestations of metabolic syndrome. 196 original papers published over the last 6 years were found using PubMed, MEDLINE, E-library databases, from which 50 articles were picked out for the review. Considering high prevalence of metabolic syndrome, the studied problem seems important. The influence of obesity and associated insulin resistance at launching the systemic inflammation leading to activation of immunological cascade resulting in terget organs damage in such patients is highlighted. The pathogenesis of liver, gall bladder and bile ducts damage at presence of metabolic disorders is outlined. The role of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in liver tissue damage is described. Based on the data of literature review and own data, it was shown that the lipid metabolism alterations are associated with liver functional damage, and liver in patients with metabolic syndrome is not only participating in atherogenic dislipoproteinemia development, but also damaged as the target organ. It was revealed that the key link in the gall bladder pathology in patients with metabolic syndrome is the lipid metabolism alterations that lead to the excess cholesterol bile excretion and cholesterol monohydrate crystals sedimentation. It was also shown that the functionally affected hepatocytes produce imperfect bile micelles with high cholesterol and low phospholipid levels, increasing the bile lithogenicity. High bile cholesterol level stimulating the mucin secretion by gall bladder wall, which is the important component of bile sediment and increases the bile crystalloids aggregation.

metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, gallbladder cholesterosis, gallstones, inflammation, cytokines