For patients suffering from acute liver failure (ALF) inhibiting infections is the key for survival. Researchers have discovered a vital protein that plays a crucial role in spreading infections in patients with liver failure. A team of scientists at King's College London and Imperial College London studied 98 patients with liver failure as well as 24 healthy volunteers. Results showed that patients with ALF had elevated levels of a key protein - named secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI) - in the liver which impaired the ability of immune cells to combat infection said the study published in the journal Hepatology.
