The following is the summary of “Pathogenesis and therapeutic strategies of heat stroke-induced liver injury” published in the December 2022 issue of Critical care by Wang, et al.

Heat stroke (HS) is a life-threatening systemic condition characterized by an elevated core body temperature of more than 40 °C and subsequent multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Heat stroke can occur in people exposed to high temperatures over long periods. Because of the increasing frequency of heatwaves worldwide, the incidence rate of HS has greatly grown, resulting in a major burden on people’s lives and health. 

Injury to the liver is a well-documented complication of HS and is typically the direct cause of mortality in patients with this condition. Much research has been conducted on the etiology of HS-induced liver injury and therapy techniques in recent years. In this review, we have provided a synopsis of the significant pathophysiology of HS-induced liver injury, which has been confirmed until now. In addition to the all-encompassing effect of systemic factors such as heat cytotoxicity, coagulopathy, and systemic inflammatory response syndrome, other factors include excessive hepatocyte cell pyroptosis and dysfunction of Kupffer cells.

Abnormal heat shock protein expression and other factors are also involved in the pathogenesis of HS-induced liver injury. In addition to this, researchers have mapped out the existing therapy approaches for HS-induced liver injury. Their research is extremely important for advancing the understanding of the etiology of HS-induced liver injury and potential treatments.

Source: ccforum.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13054-022-04273-w