Knowra Liver fibrosis Liver fibrosis Liver fibrosis is the accumulation of extracellular scar tissue after repeated or persistent liver injury. It can disrupt liver architecture and progress to cirrhosis.
Hepatic stellate cell : A liver cell that stores vitamin A and can become a collagen-producing myofibroblast after injury. Activated stellate cells produce much of the extracellular matrix that accumulates as liver scar tissue.
Alcohol-related liver disease : A spectrum of liver injury caused by prolonged harmful alcohol consumption, from steatosis to hepatitis and cirrhosis. Persistent alcohol exposure can sustain inflammation and drive fibrotic scarring.
Liver biopsy : A procedure that removes a small sample of liver tissue for microscopic examination. Biopsy can reveal collagen deposition and grade fibrosis, though sampling may miss uneven disease.
Hepatic steatosis : An abnormal accumulation of fat within liver cells. Fat accumulation is not itself scar tissue, though it can precede fibrotic injury.
Fibrosis biomarker : A measurable biological feature used to estimate the presence, severity, or change of tissue fibrosis. Reliable markers could track fibrosis progression and treatment response without repeated biopsy.
Extracellular matrix : The network of proteins and other molecules surrounding cells that provides structural and biochemical support. Its excessive deposition forms the scar tissue that characterizes fibrosis.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease : A liver disease associated with metabolic risk factors and excess hepatic fat, sometimes progressing to steatohepatitis and fibrosis. Metabolic steatohepatitis is a common pathway to chronic liver fibrosis.
Transient elastography : An ultrasound-based technique that estimates tissue stiffness by measuring the speed of mechanical waves. Liver stiffness provides a noninvasive estimate of fibrosis burden.
Hepatitis : Inflammation of the liver caused by infection, toxins, immune reactions, or other injury. Inflammation is an injury process that can promote fibrosis but is not the scar itself.
Antifibrotic therapy : Treatment intended to prevent, slow, or reverse pathological deposition of scar tissue. Effective antifibrotic drugs remain a major goal for chronic liver disease.
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