Lecture 11- Liver function and pathology Flashcards
function of the liver
storage
synthetic
metabolic
storage function
- Glycogen
- Vitamins
- Iron
- Copper
synthetic function
- Glucose
- Lipids/cholesterol
- Bile
- Proteins
- Clotting factors
- Albumin
Metabolic function
- Bilirubin
- Ammonia
- Drugs
- Alcohol
- Carbohydrates
- Lipid metabolism
symptoms of luver disease
- jaundice
- oedema/ascites
- bleeding
- confusion
jaundice
- Increase in bilirubin
- Impaired ability of liver to metabolise bilirubin
oedema/ascites
- Albumin- maintain colloid osmotic pressure
- portal hypertension
- Bleeding
Reduced clotting factor production
Confusion
Impaired metabolic function of the liver esp build up of ammonia
Decompensated liver disease-
when there are all four of these symptoms
- jaundice
-oedema/ascites
- bleeding
- confusion
Acute liver disease
sudden onset of these symptoms- no previous history
- Alcohol
- Paracetamol
- Viral
- Medications e.g. aspirin in children
all liver disease leads to
cirrhosis
cirrhosis
Permanent irreversible damage to the liver, impairment of liver function and distortion to the architecture of the liver. In response to chronic inflammation
- Inflammation –> fibrosis and hepatocyte necrosis –> bands of fibrous tissue form which causes nodules to form (think of her balloon analogy)
causes of inflammation in the liver
drugs, infection, depsition disease, autoimmune disorders
drugs which cause inflammation
- can be iatrogenic
- alcohol
alcoholic liver disease
- Most common cause of chronic liver disease
changes causes by excessive alcohol intake
- Fatty change –> excessive amount of sugar converted to triglycerides and can cause build-up of fatty deposits in the liver within weeks of exposure to alcohol
- Hepatomegaly
- Usually reversible
- Alcoholic hepatitis
- Years of exposure (initially reversible)
- Presence of inflammatory cells alongside fatty changes
- More serve symptoms
- RUQ pain
- Jaundice
- Oedema
- Ascites
- Leads to cirrhosis
infections which can cause liver inflammation
hep B and hep c
- Hepatitis B
- Vaccine
- No cure
- Symptoms during acute infection
- Hepatitis C
- No vaccine
- Cure
- Asymptomatic
hepatitis increases
risk of malignancy due to chronic inflmmation
Deposition disease which cause inflammation can be caused by
fat, iron, copper
fat deposition in the liver
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
- Insulin resistance
- Accumulation of TAG and other lipids within hepatocytes
- Specific to inflammation present= NASH- Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis- inflammation