Article in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Full title
Progressive alcohol-related liver fibrosis is characterised by imbalanced collagen formation and degradation.
Authors
Maja Thiele; Maja Thiele; Stine Johansen; Natasja Stæhr Gudmann; Bjørn Stæhr Madsen; Maria Kjærgaard; Mette Juul Nielsen; Diana Julie Leeming; Suganya Jacobsen; Flemming Bendtsen; Søren Møller; Sönke Detlefsen; Morten A. Karsdal; Aleksander Krag
Abstract
Background
Liver fibrosis accumulation is considered a turnover disease, with formation exceeding degradation, although this hypothesis has never been tested in humans.
Aims
To investigate extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling in a biopsy-controlled study of alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) patients.Methods: We evaluated the relationship between formation and degradation of four collagens as a function of histological fibrosis, inflammation and steatosis in 281 patients with ALD and 50 matched healthy controls. Post hoc, we tested the findings in a cohort of patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis and assessed the collagens' prognostic accuracy. We assessed the fibrillar collagens type III (PRO-C3/C3M) and V (PRO-C5/C5M), the basement membrane collagen IV (PRO-C4/C4M), and the microfilament interface collagen VI (PRO-C6/C6M).
Results
Mean age was 54 ± 6 years, 74% male, fibrosis stage F0/1/2/3/4 = 33/98/84/18/48. Compared to controls, patients with ALD had higher levels of type III collagen formation and degradation, with the highest concentrations in those with cirrhosis (PRO-C3 = 8.2 ± 1.7 ng/mL in controls, 14.6 ± 13.5 in ALD, 34.8 ± 23.1 in cirrhosis; C3M 7.4 ± 1.9 in controls, 9.3 ± 4.4 in ALD, 14.0 ± 5 in cirrhosis). ECM remodelling became increasingly imbalanced in higher stages of liver fibrosis, with formation progressively superseding degradation. This was particularly pronounced for type III collagen. We observed similar imbalance for inflammatory severity, but not steatosis.
Conclusions
ALD is characterised by both elevated collagen formation and degradation, which becomes increasingly imbalanced with more severe disease. Net increase in fibrillar collagens contributes to fibrosis progression. This has important implications for monitoring and very early identification of patients at highest risk of progressing to cirrhosis.