title: HLA-DR expression in bile duct damage in hepatitis C.
abstract: Several investigations have demonstrated aberrant expression of HLA-DR on damaged bile duct epithelium of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis, liver allograft rejection, graft versus host disease, and AIDS. Since bile duct damage is a prominent feature of chronic hepatitis C, it may also be associated with HLA-DR induction. Therefore, we examined the expression of HLA-DR antigen in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver biopsy sections of 30 patients with chronic hepatitis C by the avidin-biotin peroxidase complex method using a monoclonal antibody to HLA-DR. HLA-DR was not detected on bile duct epithelium in any of the cases, although bile duct damage of varying degree was observed in 90% of the cases. HLA-DR was expressed by Kupffer cells; inflammatory infiltrates in portal tracts, and in areas of piecemeal necrosis and lobular necrosis; dendritic cells in portal and periportal areas; and occasionally hepatocytes. These observations suggest that the mechanism of bile duct injury in chronic hepatitis C may be different from that of other conditions such as primary biliary cirrhosis, liver allograft rejection, and graft versus host disease.
authors.affiliation: Lillian and Henry M. Stratton-Hans Popper Department of Pathology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, City University of New York, New York.
authors.forename: P O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Danque
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schaffner
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.forename: S N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Thung
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens