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World J Gastroenterol. Dec 7, 2022; 28(45): 6345-6355
Published online Dec 7, 2022. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i45.6345
The mononuclear phagocyte system in hepatocellular carcinoma
Duan-Rui Qiao, Guan-Yue Shan, Shuai Wang, Jun-Ya Cheng, Wei-Qun Yan, Hai-Jun Li
Duan-Rui Qiao, Jun-Ya Cheng, Wei-Qun Yan, Department of Bioengineering, Pharmacy School of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin Province, China
Duan-Rui Qiao, Guan-Yue Shan, Shuai Wang, Jun-Ya Cheng, Hai-Jun Li, Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130061, Jilin Province, China
Shuai Wang, Department of Students Affairs, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130031, Jilin Province, China
Hai-Jun Li, Institute of Liver Diseases, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130061, Jilin Province, China
Author contributions: Shan GY and Wang S collected the information; Cheng JY drew and modified the illustrations; Qiao DR wrote the paper; Li HJ and Yan WQ revised the paper.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No 81970529; and The Natural Science Foundation of Jilin Province, No. 20200201387JC.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Hai-Jun Li, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Institute of Liver Diseases, Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, No.71 Xinmin Street, Changchun 130061, Jilin Province, China. hjli2012@jlu.edu.cn
Received: July 15, 2022
Peer-review started: July 15, 2022
First decision: September 1, 2022
Revised: October 10, 2022
Accepted: November 16, 2022
Article in press: November 16, 2022
Published online: December 7, 2022
Processing time: 140 Days and 6.6 Hours
Abstract

The mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS) consists of monocytes, dendritic cells and macrophages, which play vital roles in innate immune defense against cancer. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a complex disease that is affected or initiated by many factors, including chronic hepatitis B virus infection, hepatitis C virus infection, metabolic disorders or alcohol consumption. Liver function, tumor stage and the performance status of patients affect HCC clinical outcomes. Studies have shown that targeted treatment of tumor microenvironment disorders may improve the efficacy of HCC treatments. Cytokines derived from the innate immune response can regulate T-cell differentiation, thereby shaping adaptive immunity, which is associated with the prognosis of HCC. Therefore, it is important to elucidate the function of the MPS in the progression of HCC. In this review, we outline the impact of HCC on the MPS. We illustrate how HCC reshapes MPS cell phenotype remodeling and the production of associated cytokines and characterize the function and impairment of the MPS in HCC.

Keywords: Mononuclear phagocyte system; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Monocyte; Dendritic cell; Macrophage

Core Tip: The hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a complex disease affected or initiated by many factors, including chronic hepatitis B virus infection, hepatitis C virus infection, metabolic disorders or alcohol consumption. Innate immune system can shape the acquired immune response, which can surveillance HCC directly. As the main component of innate immunity, the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS) plays a vital role in HCC. In this review, we outline the impact of HCC on MPS. We illustrate how HCC reshapes MPS cell phenotype remodeling and producing the associated cytokines, and characterize the function and impairment of MPS in HCC.