Expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin in liver diseases.
10.3346/jkms.1993.8.5.367
- Author:
Eun Sil YU
1
;
Ghee Young CHOE
;
Gyeong Yeob GONG
;
In Chul LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Ulsan, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
alpha-smooth muscle actin;
fibrosis;
liver;
erisinusoidal cells
- MeSH:
Actins/*analysis;
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/chemistry;
Female;
Hepatitis/metabolism;
Humans;
Liver/chemistry;
Liver Cirrhosis/metabolism;
Liver Diseases/*metabolism;
Liver Neoplasms/chemistry;
Pregnancy
- From:Journal of Korean Medical Science
1993;8(5):367-373
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
To evaluate the distribution of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) positive cells in various liver diseases, we undertook an immunohistochemical study of liver diseases including chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, intrahepatic cholelithiasis and hepatocellular carcinoma. As a control, fetal livers (gestational age: 22-26 weeks) showed alpha-SMA positive cells along the blood vessels of the portal area, terminal hepatic venules and at perisinusoidal spaces. Perisinusoidal alpha-SMA positive cells were bipolar shaped and had round nuclei. In chronic persistent hepatitis, a few alpha-SMA positive cells were admixed with the inflammatory infiltrates mostly along the intact limiting plate. They were also detected multifocally in a linear pattern along the dilated sinusoid. In chronic active hepatitis, very strong alpha-SMA staining was detected at the site of piecemeal necrosis and adjacent lobules. A-SMA expression was decreased in some cases after interferon treatment. In cases of transplanted liver biopsies, expression of intralobular alpha-SMA was diffusely increased but showed no correlation with degree of acute rejection. Cirrhotic livers revealed strong alpha-SMA positivity in fibrous septae as well as in the perisinusoidal space of intact hepatocytes at the leading edge of fibrosis. Interlobular bile ducts were concentrically circumscribed by alpha-SMA positive cells in cases of intrahepatic cholelithiasis. In trabecular type hepatocellular carcinomas, most sinusoidal lining cells were positive for alpha-SMA. Most intralobular alpha-SMA positive cells represent, if not all, perisinusoidal cells (PSCs) which are involved in intralobular fibrogenesis in various liver diseases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
