Figure 1.

Risk factors of liver injury.

There are well-known primary risk factors causing liver disease, such as obesity, alcohol or toxicants. However, it is less well understood how other mitigating factors such as host genetics or underlying comorbidities will impact or enhance liver injury caused by the primary risk factors. Importantly, although the effects of high-level occupational VOC exposures have been studied, it is becoming clear that low-level occupational and environmental exposure may interact with other risk-modifying factors, such as ‘secondary’ risk factors to cause liver injury at concentrations that are considered ‘safe.’