Alterations in the redox state and liver damage: Hints from the EASL Basic School of Hepatology

The importance of a correct balance between oxidative and reductive events has been shown to have a paramount effect of cell function since a quite long time. However, in spite of this body of rapidly grooving evidence, the implication of the alteration of the redox state in human disease has been so far much less appreciated. Liver diseases make no exception. Although not fully comprehensive, this article reports was discussed during an EASL Basic School held in 2012 in Trieste, Italy, where the effect of the alteration of the redox state has been addressed in different experimental and human models. This translational approach resulted in further stressing the concept that this topic should be expanded in the future not only to better understand how oxidative stress may be linked to a liver damage and also, perhaps more important, how this may be the target for a better, more focused treatments. In parallel, understanding how alteration of the redox balance may be associated to liver damage may help in defining sensitive and ideally early biomarkers of the disorder.