View article

Acetaminophen‐induced acute liver failure (AALF) is associated with innate immunity activation, which contributes to the severity of hepatic injury and clinical outcome. A marked increase in hepatic macrophages (h‐mϕ) is observed in experimental models of AALF, but controversy exists regarding their role, implicating h‐mϕ in both aggravation and resolution of liver injury. The role of h‐mϕ in human AALF is virtually unexplored. We sought to investigate the role of chemokine (C‐C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) in the recruitment of circulating monocytes to the inflamed liver and to determine how the h‐mϕ infiltrate and liver microenvironment may contribute to tissue repair versus inflammation in AALF. We evaluated circulating monocytes, their chemokine (C‐C motif) receptor 2 (CCR2) expression, and serum CCL2 levels in patients with AALF. Cell subsets and numbers of circulation‐derived (MAC387+) or resident …