The molecular basis of susceptibility to infection in liver cirrhosis.

There is much clinical evidence of a relationship between infectious disease and chronic liver disease. The consequences of this adverse association have been described and advances in the treatment and prophylaxis of infectious disease have had an important effect on the management of patients with chronic liver disease. The association between infectious disease and chronic liver disease involves altered cytokine production, cellular immunity, and vascular response. However, there is little information on the mechanisms underlying these phenomena. In this report, we review the mechanistic basis of this common association.