Pathogenesis of hepatic fibrosis and the role of cytokines.

No definitive therapy exists for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis. Recent evidence suggests that hepatic lipocytes (Ito cells, fat storage cells, or stellate cells of the liver) are responsible for much of the collagen hypersecretion and nodule formation that occurs during hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis. This review describes the cellular mechanisms of hepatic fibrogenesis emphasizing new experimental data about cytokines or growth factors to suggest potential avenues of future therapeutic design.