Chronic liver disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Epidemiology, clinical phenotype and response to therapies for gastrointestinal and liver diseases are commonly different between women and men due to sex-specific hormonal, genetic and immune-related factors. The hepatic immune system has unique regulatory functions that promote the induction of intrahepatic tolerance, which is key for maintaining liver health and homeostasis. In liver diseases, hepatic immune alterations are increasingly recognized as a main cofactor responsible for the development and progression of chronic liver injury and fibrosis. In this Review, we discuss the basic mechanisms of sex disparity in hepatic immune regulation and how these mechanisms influence and modify the development of autoimmune liver diseases, genetic liver diseases, portal hypertension and inflammation in chronic liver disease. Alterations in gut microbiota and their crosstalk with the hepatic immune system might affect the progression of liver disease in a sex-specific manner, creating potential opportunities for novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to be evaluated in clinical trials. Finally, we identify and propose areas for future basic, translational and clinical research that will advance our understanding of sex disparities in hepatic immunity and liver disease.
Globally, nearly half of deaths from cirrhosis and chronic liver diseases (CLD) and three-quarters of deaths from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occur in the Asia-Pacific region. Chronic hepatitis B is responsible for the vast majority of liver-related deaths in the region. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common form of CLD, affecting an estimated 30% of the adult population. Compared with people of European descent, people from the Asia-Pacific region carry more genetic variants associated with MASLD and its progression. Alcohol is a fast-growing cause of CLD and HCC in Asia as a result of the rising per-capita consumption of alcohol. Drug-induced liver injury is under-recognized and probably has a high prevalence in this region. The epidemiological and outcome data of acute-on-chronic liver failure are heterogeneous, and non-unified definitions across regions contribute to this heterogeneity. CLDs are severely underdiagnosed, and effective treatments and vaccinations are underutilized. In this Review, we highlight trends in the burden of CLD and HCC in the Asia-Pacific region and discuss the rapidly changing aetiologies of liver disease. We examine the multiple gaps in the care cascade and propose mitigating strategies and future directions.