Results of a comparative study on Non-alcoholic fatty liver induced and microstructural fibrotic changes
- VernacularTitle:Архины бус шалтгаант элэгний өөхлөлт болон бичил бүтцийн фиброзон өөрчлөлтийг харьцуулан судалсан дүн
- Author:
Suvd M
1
;
Badrakh M
2
;
Enkhee O
3
;
Onon B
4
;
Gan-Erdene B
4
;
Nomiungerel R
1
;
Avirmed A
1
;
Khongorzul B
5
Author Information
1. Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedicine, MNUMS
2. Department of Pathophysiology, School of Biomedicine, MNUMS
3. National Center for Pathology
4. Department of General Surgery, Second State Central Hospital
5. Biomedical Research Institute, MNUMS
- Publication Type:Other Types
- Keywords:
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease;
Liver, frozen tissue;
Fibrosis;
histology
- From:
Mongolian Journal of Health Sciences
2025;88(4):188-192
- CountryMongolia
- Language:Mongolian
-
Abstract:
Background:In recent years, the incidence of liver diseases due to complications of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
(NAFLD) has shown a significant upward trend in Southeast Asian countries. NAFLD is a hepatic disorder characterized
by lipid accumulation in the microstructure of the liver in individuals who consume little to no alcohol. It is often associ
ated with insulin resistance and is diagnosed when steatosis affects more than 5% of hepatocytes histologically, or when
the fat signal intensity on MRI exceeds 5.6%, based on fat-to-water ratio measurements. In Mongolia, histological studies
using frozen liver sections with routine and special staining techniques are limited, highlighting the necessity of this study.
Aim:To determine and compare the degree of steatosis and fibrosis in frozen liver tissue samples of patients with NAFLD
through histological analysis.
Materials and Methods:This study was conducted at the the Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedicine and Bio
medical Research Institute of MNUMS in collaboration with the Second State Central Hospital. Ethical approval was
obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of MNUMS (Protocol No. 2024/3-06). All procedures adhered strictly to
laboratory biosafety protocols. Participants were selected among patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystec
tomy, from whom informed consent was obtained. Based on inclusion criteria, five participants were grouped as follows:
healthy control (n=1), NAFLD without fibrosis (n=2), and NAFLD with fibrosis (n=2). Liver biopsies (approx. 1 cm in
size) were obtained intraoperatively, immediately deep-frozen in liquid nitrogen, and prepared for histological evaluation.
Results:In patients with NAFLD compared to the healthy liver group, disruption of hepatocyte columnar architecture and
mild periportal lymphocytic infiltration were observed. Oil Red O staining revealed 34–66% micro- and macrovesicular
steatosis, corresponding to grade 2 steatosis. Masson’s trichrome staining showed no fibrotic changes in perivenular or
periportal areas (Ishak grade 0/4) at this stage. However, upon progression to grade 3 steatosis, early-stage fibrosis was
observed in both perivenular and periportal regions (Ishak grade 1/4). Further progression to stage 4 fibrosis was char
acterized by the development of connective tissue septa, although no significant changes in droplet size were observed.
Conclusions: 1. Increasing stages of fibrosis are not directly influenced by the severity of hepatic steatosis in NAFLD.
2. Although the degree of steatosis increases, the absence of corresponding fibrotic changes in early stages indicates a
complex progression pattern of NAFLD requiring further investigation.
- Full text:2025052214024844935188-192.pdf
