Focal hepatocellular necrosis and portal lymphocytic infiltration of the liver in chronic alcoholics: histopathological study of 40 liver biopsies.
Forty liver biopsies of hepatitis B surface antigen negative chronic alcoholics were histologically studied to assess the influence of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infection. A moderate degree of focal hepatocellular necrosis and/or portal lymphocytic infiltration (FHN-PLI) was observed in 28% of the specimens, being especially prevalent in advanced cases of fibrosis and cirrhosis, and significantly correlated with HCV-infection. Eleven of these cases were examined in detail: HCV-infection was detected in eight and lymphocytic infiltration was apparent in the portal area, accompanied by formation of lymph follicles. The FHN-PLI was ascribed to alcoholic hepatitis in two HCV-negative cases and was concluded to be of unknown etiology in the remaining one HCV-negative case. This study thus indicated that over two-thirds of cases of chronic hepatitis in alcoholics can be attributed to HCV-infection, with the remainder being at least partly related to alcoholic hepatitis. The prevalence of alcohol-induced chronic hepatitis based on immunopathological findings was unclear, but was probably less frequent than previously reported.
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
M
M
Sawabe
I
I
Okayasu
N
N
Izumi
K
K
Sugiura
S
S
Miyake
K
K
Taki
H
H
Miyakawa
C
C
Sato
H ]
H]
Miyagawa H [corrected to Miyakawa
C ]
C]
Satoh T [corrected to Sato
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000473:pathology*; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000473:pathology; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000473:pathology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis