Abstract

Apoptosis is a rare event in normal hepatocytes. However, multiple signals can trigger apoptosis in hepatocytes and it plays a role in the pathogenesis of many liver diseases. This review summarizes the mechanisms of hepatocellular apoptosis and the importance of apoptosis in the pathological processes of liver disease. The potential for non-invasive biomarkers of apoptosis to gauge the extent and follow the evolution of clinical disease is emphasized.

Keywords: Cytokeratin 18, Fas antigen, Fas ligand, Tumour necrosis factor, soluble trail, Biomarkers, Apoptosis, liver diseases, non-invasive biomarkers