Hepatocyte and nuclear areas in alcoholic liver cirrhosis: their relationship with the size of the nodules and the degree of fibrosis.
The aim of the study in alcoholic cirrhotic patients was to determine if a relationship exists between the areas of hepatocytes and their nuclei and the area of the nodules to which these cells belong as well as the thickness of the fibrous tracts which delimit these nodules. It was found that hepatocyte and nuclear areas were enlarged the smaller the nodules and the thicker the surrounding fibrous tracts. Considering that oxygen supply in liver cirrhosis decreases with increasing fibrosis, our results permit the hypothesis that a low oxygen supply causes an increase not only in liver cell size but also in nuclear size, which is an index of nuclear activity.
D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000473:pathology*