Knowra Hepatitis Hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by infections, immune disorders, toxins, medications, or other conditions. It can be acute or chronic and may impair liver function.
Liver : The largest internal organ, performing metabolism, detoxification, bile production, and many other functions. Hepatitis is inflammation of this organ.
Hepatocyte apoptosis : Programmed cell death of hepatocytes, triggered by cellular damage or immune signals. Cell death contributes to liver injury in several forms of hepatitis.
Liver function tests : Blood tests measuring enzymes, proteins, and substances used to assess liver injury and function. They help identify liver inflammation and monitor its course.
Viral hepatitis : Liver inflammation caused by hepatitis viruses or other viruses that infect the liver. This infectious category includes hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E.
Liver inflammation : An immune response in liver tissue that can arise from infection, injury, or immune attack. This is the defining tissue response in hepatitis.
Cytotoxic T cell : An immune cell that recognizes and kills cells displaying specific foreign or abnormal proteins. These cells can attack virus-infected hepatocytes and contribute to hepatitis injury.
Liver biopsy : A procedure that removes a small liver tissue sample for microscopic examination. It can clarify the cause or severity when blood tests are insufficient.
Autoimmune hepatitis : A chronic liver disease in which immune cells attack the body’s own liver tissue. It resembles viral hepatitis but is not caused by an infection.
Hepatocyte : A liver cell responsible for most of the organ’s metabolic and synthetic functions. Many forms of hepatitis injure these cells directly or through immune attack.
Kupffer cell : A resident macrophage in the liver that detects pathogens and helps coordinate immune responses. These cells can amplify or regulate inflammation during liver infection.
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