Review Question - QID 214619

A 53-year-old man presents to his primary care physician due to fatigue and increased abdominal girth. He has noticed a gradual decrease in energy for 7 months and worries the reason is due to weight gain. He denies dyspnea, chest pain, constipation, or diarrhea. He has a history of alcohol abuse disorder and continues to drink 1 pint of vodka daily. His temperature is 97.5°F (36.4°C), blood pressure is 138/82 mmHg, pulse is 74/min, and respirations are 17/min. On exam, he has telangiectasias on his bilateral cheeks and chest and scleral icterus. His abdomen is distended but soft and non-tender. The liver edge is palpable 8 cm below the costal margin. Laboratory values are shown below:

Serum:
Na+: 136 mEq/L
Cl-: 102 mEq/L
K+: 4.3 mEq/L
HCO3-: 24 mEq/L
Urea nitrogen: 11 mg/dL
Glucose: 97 mg/dL
Creatinine: 0.98 mg/dL
Alkaline phosphatase: 47 U/L
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST, GOT): 97 U/L
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT, GPT): 59 U/L
Gamma-Glutamyltransferase (GGT): 69 U/L
Total bilirubin: 1.9 mg/dL

A liver biopsy reveals the findings in Figure A. Which of the following cells mediates the process demonstrated in Figure A?