Published online May 28, 2020. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i20.2559
Peer-review started: February 10, 2020
First decision: April 12, 2020
Revised: April 19, 2020
Accepted: April 29, 2020
Article in press: April 29, 2020
Published online: May 28, 2020
γδT cells are unconventional T lymphocytes that bridge innate and adaptive immunity. Based on the composition of T cell receptor and the cytokines produced, γδT cells can be divided into diverse subsets that may be present at different locations, including the liver, epithelial layer of the gut, the dermis and so on. Many of these cells perform specific functions in liver diseases, such as viral hepatitis, autoimmune liver diseases, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, liver cirrhosis and liver cancers. In this review, we discuss the distribution, subsets, functions of γδT cells and the relationship between the microbiota and γδT cells in common hepatic diseases. As γδT cells have been used to cure hematological and solid tumors, we are interested in γδT cell-based immunotherapies to treat liver diseases.
Core tip: γδT cells are unconventional T lymphocytes that bridge innate and adaptive immunity. These cells are enriched in epithelial layers of different tissues and the peripheral blood. They have been used in hematological and solid tumors for immunotherapies. The effects of γδT cells in liver diseases depend on subsets, mechanisms and different stages of diseases. We herein discuss the distribution, subsets, functions of γδT cells and the relationship between the microbiota and γδT cells in common hepatic diseases.