Inflammation is a common element in the pathogenesis of most chronic liver diseases that
lead to fibrosis and cirrhosis. Inflammation is characterized by activation of innate immune
cells and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1α, IL-1β, and TNFα. Inflammasomes
are intracellular multiprotein complexes expressed in both parenchymal and non-
parenchymal cells of the liver that in response to cellular danger signals activate caspase-1,
and release IL-1β and IL-18. The importance of inflammasome activation in various forms of …