Programmed Death Ligand 1 Is Overexpressed in Liver Macrophages in Chronic Liver Diseases, and Its Blockade Improves the Antibacterial Activity Against Infections.

Liver cirrhosis is characterized by a remarkable impairment of phagocytic function of macrophages associated with an immunosuppressive transcriptome profile. The programmed cell death receptor 1/PD-L1 axis plays a major role in the impaired activity of liver macrophages. PD-L1 blockade reverses the immune suppressive profile and increases antimicrobial activity of liver macrophages in cirrhosis.