Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41190981›Full record

ArticleHepatology (Baltimore, Md.)2026

Epigenetic repression of hepatocyte FoxO1 disrupts local immune homeostasis and promotes liver inflammation.

Zhigang Lei, Yu Wu, Weijie Xue, Dongmei Zhu, Junyao Shen, Chenxu Mao, Ziling Wang, Chuanhong Huang, Yuxin Zhang, Jifeng Zhu and 8 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Zhigang LeiKey Laboratory for Pathogen Infection and Control of Jiangsu Province, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.ORCID 0000-0003-1156-1973
Yu WuKey Laboratory for Pathogen Infection and Control of Jiangsu Province, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Weijie XueKey Laboratory for Pathogen Infection and Control of Jiangsu Province, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Dongmei ZhuDepartment of Liver Diseases, Institute of Hepatology, The Third People's Hospital of Changzhou, Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China.
Junyao ShenKey Laboratory for Pathogen Infection and Control of Jiangsu Province, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Chenxu MaoKey Laboratory for Pathogen Infection and Control of Jiangsu Province, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Ziling WangKey Laboratory for Pathogen Infection and Control of Jiangsu Province, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Chuanhong HuangKey Laboratory for Pathogen Infection and Control of Jiangsu Province, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Yuxin ZhangKey Laboratory for Pathogen Infection and Control of Jiangsu Province, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Jifeng ZhuKey Laboratory for Pathogen Infection and Control of Jiangsu Province, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Lei XuKey Laboratory for Pathogen Infection and Control of Jiangsu Province, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Yalin LiKey Laboratory for Pathogen Infection and Control of Jiangsu Province, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Xiujun ZhangDepartment of Liver Diseases, Institute of Hepatology, The Third People's Hospital of Changzhou, Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China.
Shouguo LiuCenter for Rehabilitation Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Xiaojun ChenKey Laboratory for Pathogen Infection and Control of Jiangsu Province, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.ORCID 0000-0002-3698-2814
Chunyan YeDepartment of Liver Diseases, Institute of Hepatology, The Third People's Hospital of Changzhou, Changzhou Medical Center, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China.
Sha ZhouKey Laboratory for Pathogen Infection and Control of Jiangsu Province, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.ORCID 0000-0001-8791-7281
Chuan SuKey Laboratory for Pathogen Infection and Control of Jiangsu Province, Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.ORCID 0000-0002-8271-2428

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsDisrupting liver immune homeostasis drives inflammation. Recent evidence shifts immunoregulatory focus to hepatocytes, though the mechanisms remain poorly defined. Forkhead box O1 (FoxO1) is a critical homeostasis regulator, but its function in liver immune homeostasis is unknown. We aimed to clarify the role of hepatocyte FoxO1 in liver immune homeostasis and inflammation. APPROACH AND

resultsHuman liver FoxO1 expression and its association with inflammation were analyzed in patients with various inflammation-related liver diseases. Hepatocyte-specific Foxo1 knockout (FoxO1 △hepa ) mice were established. Hepatocyte-specific gene interference was employed in alcoholic hepatitis and hepatic schistosomiasis murine models. Transcriptomic, single-cell RNA sequencing, and CUT&Tag analyses were performed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Hepatocyte FoxO1 levels in human inflammatory livers declined prevalently and were inversely correlated with inflammation and fibrosis. Around 15-18 weeks after birth, FoxO1 △hepa mice exhibited mild spontaneous hepatic inflammation with natural killer T (NKT) cell and neutrophil accumulation. NKT cell depletion in FoxO1 △hepa mice with alcoholic hepatitis or hepatic schistosomiasis (HS) significantly reduced neutrophil accumulation and protected against liver inflammation and damage. Mechanistically, FoxO1 promoted retinoic acid synthesis to induce hepatocyte CD1d expression, which is necessary for regulating NKT cell apoptosis. Innovatively, decreased JMJD1C expression in hepatocytes caused histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) dimethylation at the Foxo1 promoter, repressing its transcription and disrupting local immune homeostasis.

conclusionsOur findings uncover a hitherto unrecognized mechanism for hepatocyte-based control of liver inflammation, in which hepatocyte FoxO1 maintained by JMJD1C restrains local NKT cells and neutrophils via CD1d induction, providing promising targets for inflammatory liver diseases.

Indexed as

Epigenesis, GeneticForkhead Box Protein O1Hepatitis, AlcoholicHepatocytesAnimalsDisease Models, AnimalFemaleHomeostasisHumansLiverMaleMiceMice, KnockoutNatural Killer T-CellsSchistosomiasisForkhead Box Protein O1FOXO1 protein, humanFoxo1 protein, mouseFoxO1hepatocyteJMJD1Cliver immune homeostasisliver inflammation

Identifiers

PMID41190981
PMCPMC13374652

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.