Open AccessTHE MORPHOLOGICAL AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE LIVER IN ELDERLY PATIENTS
Author(s) -
А. Л. Калинин
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
problemy zdorovʹâ i èkologii
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2708-6011
pISSN - 2220-0967
DOI - 10.51523/2708-6011.2016-13-1-3
Subject(s) - hepatocellular carcinoma , immune system , medicine , liver injury , pathophysiology , autoimmunity , immunology , pathogenesis , hepatitis , cirrhosis , cytochrome p450 , pathology , metabolism
The liver experiences various changes with aging that could affect clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with liver diseases. Both liver volume and blood flow decrease significantly with age. These changes and decreased cytochrome P450 activity can affect drug metabolism, increasing susceptibility to drug-induced liver injury. Immune responses against pathogens or neoplastic cells are lower in the elderly, although these individuals may be predisposed to autoimmunity through impairment of dendritic cell maturation and reduction of regulatory T cells. These changes in immune functions could alter the pathogenesis of viral hepatitis and autoimmune liver diseases, as well as the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Collectively, aged patients show various changes of the liver and other organs that could affect the clinical characteristics and management of liver diseases in these patients.