Role of CD98 in liver disease

CD98 is a multifunctional glycoprotein that is involved in various biological processes such as amino acid transport, cell adhesion, diffusion, adhesion, and proliferation. The role of CD98 in liver disease has not thoroughly been examined and is limited reports in the literature. Among these reports, direct association for CD98 in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been reported. Our lab has reported that targeting CD98 in high fat diet mice reduced steatosis and inflammation in NAFLD. Other reports associate CD98 in HCC due in part to the role of CD98 in activating integrin signaling. Herein, we present CD98 staining on liver biopsies from NAFLD, chronic active hepatitis, cirrhosis, and 3 stages of HCC to demonstrate the upregulation of CD98 expression throughout liver disease progression. In addition, we analyze current literature to elucidate roles and potential roles of CD98 with each stage of liver disease.