Research progress on pathogenesis of skin pigmentation in chronic liver disease

Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a significant global health concern that leads to increased morbidity and mortality, and is associated with skin pigmentation changes. Excessive facial pigmentation is a common characteristic of patients with CLD, although the exact mechanism underlying this phenomenon...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tianqi Liu, Tianyu Xi, Xiaoqin Dong, Dong Xu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Association of Basic Medical Sciences of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2024-12-01
Series:Biomolecules & Biomedicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.bjbms.org/ojs/index.php/bjbms/article/view/11085
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1846115278738423808
author Tianqi Liu
Tianyu Xi
Xiaoqin Dong
Dong Xu
author_facet Tianqi Liu
Tianyu Xi
Xiaoqin Dong
Dong Xu
author_sort Tianqi Liu
collection DOAJ
description Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a significant global health concern that leads to increased morbidity and mortality, and is associated with skin pigmentation changes. Excessive facial pigmentation is a common characteristic of patients with CLD, although the exact mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unclear. Melanin, which consists of eumelanin and pheomelanin, is synthesized in melanocytes. Its production is influenced by cysteine levels and is regulated by key enzymes, such as tyrosinase (TYR), tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1), and tyrosinase-related protein 2 (TYRP2). The transport of melanosomes within melanocytes relies primarily on the coordinated action of F-actin and microtubules. However, the mechanism of melanin transfer from melanocytes to surrounding dendritic cells requires further investigation. Several factors contribute to liver fibrosis, including oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines. This article discusses the factors that are elevated in the serum of patients with chronic liver disease, which may increase melanin deposition. It also introduces the signaling pathways related to melanin synthesis, providing indirect evidence for the pathological mechanisms underlying increased melanin synthesis in CLD. Additionally, the article points out that pigmentation may serve as an important indicator of liver disease deterioration and suggests the formation of a scoring system that combines related factors to enhance the predictive accuracy. In terms of treatment, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory drugs, such as silymarin and vitamin E, may improve CLD and reduce skin pigmentation, but their specific effects still require further investigation. Future research should focus on validating the mechanisms linking pigmentation changes with CLD progression, and exploring therapeutic methods that can simultaneously improve liver function and skin pigmentation, ultimately aiming for better patient outcomes.
format Article
id doaj-art-f1f0aef1e1724778ae397141d5984edc
institution Kabale University
issn 2831-0896
2831-090X
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Association of Basic Medical Sciences of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
record_format Article
series Biomolecules & Biomedicine
spelling doaj-art-f1f0aef1e1724778ae397141d5984edc2024-12-19T16:30:58ZengAssociation of Basic Medical Sciences of Federation of Bosnia and HerzegovinaBiomolecules & Biomedicine2831-08962831-090X2024-12-0110.17305/bb.2024.11085Research progress on pathogenesis of skin pigmentation in chronic liver diseaseTianqi Liu0https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6380-5110Tianyu Xi1Xiaoqin Dong2Dong Xu3The Second Clinical Medical College, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, ChinaThe Second Clinical Medical College, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, ChinaDepartment and Institute of Infectious Disease, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Disease, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, ChinaDepartment and Institute of Infectious Disease, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Disease, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, ChinaChronic liver disease (CLD) is a significant global health concern that leads to increased morbidity and mortality, and is associated with skin pigmentation changes. Excessive facial pigmentation is a common characteristic of patients with CLD, although the exact mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unclear. Melanin, which consists of eumelanin and pheomelanin, is synthesized in melanocytes. Its production is influenced by cysteine levels and is regulated by key enzymes, such as tyrosinase (TYR), tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1), and tyrosinase-related protein 2 (TYRP2). The transport of melanosomes within melanocytes relies primarily on the coordinated action of F-actin and microtubules. However, the mechanism of melanin transfer from melanocytes to surrounding dendritic cells requires further investigation. Several factors contribute to liver fibrosis, including oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines. This article discusses the factors that are elevated in the serum of patients with chronic liver disease, which may increase melanin deposition. It also introduces the signaling pathways related to melanin synthesis, providing indirect evidence for the pathological mechanisms underlying increased melanin synthesis in CLD. Additionally, the article points out that pigmentation may serve as an important indicator of liver disease deterioration and suggests the formation of a scoring system that combines related factors to enhance the predictive accuracy. In terms of treatment, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory drugs, such as silymarin and vitamin E, may improve CLD and reduce skin pigmentation, but their specific effects still require further investigation. Future research should focus on validating the mechanisms linking pigmentation changes with CLD progression, and exploring therapeutic methods that can simultaneously improve liver function and skin pigmentation, ultimately aiming for better patient outcomes. https://www.bjbms.org/ojs/index.php/bjbms/article/view/11085Skin pigmentationchronic liver diseaseCLDliver cirrhosispathogenesis
spellingShingle Tianqi Liu
Tianyu Xi
Xiaoqin Dong
Dong Xu
Research progress on pathogenesis of skin pigmentation in chronic liver disease
Biomolecules & Biomedicine
Skin pigmentation
chronic liver disease
CLD
liver cirrhosis
pathogenesis
title Research progress on pathogenesis of skin pigmentation in chronic liver disease
title_full Research progress on pathogenesis of skin pigmentation in chronic liver disease
title_fullStr Research progress on pathogenesis of skin pigmentation in chronic liver disease
title_full_unstemmed Research progress on pathogenesis of skin pigmentation in chronic liver disease
title_short Research progress on pathogenesis of skin pigmentation in chronic liver disease
title_sort research progress on pathogenesis of skin pigmentation in chronic liver disease
topic Skin pigmentation
chronic liver disease
CLD
liver cirrhosis
pathogenesis
url https://www.bjbms.org/ojs/index.php/bjbms/article/view/11085
work_keys_str_mv AT tianqiliu researchprogressonpathogenesisofskinpigmentationinchronicliverdisease
AT tianyuxi researchprogressonpathogenesisofskinpigmentationinchronicliverdisease
AT xiaoqindong researchprogressonpathogenesisofskinpigmentationinchronicliverdisease
AT dongxu researchprogressonpathogenesisofskinpigmentationinchronicliverdisease