Hepatic Fas antigen expression before and after interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
To assess the relationship between hepatitis C virus infection and Fas antigen expression on hepatocytes, we examined changes in hepatic Fas antigen expression in the presence or absence of active hepatitis C virus infection. Twenty patients with chronic hepatitis C infection were treated with interferon and underwent pre- and posttreatment liver biopsies. Patients were classified according to the absence (group A; n = 9) or the presence (group B; n = 11) of hepatitis C virus RNA (HCV-RNA) in the liver after interferon therapy. An immunohistochemical assay showed Fas antigen staining in hepatocytes membranes and cytoplasm with expression concentrated mainly in periportal areas. The percentage of Fas-positive cells in the liver before treatment was not different between group A (39.5+/-19.1%) and group B (32.5+/-15.6%). Hepatic Fas expression was reduced significantly after treatment (24.3+/-10.6%) compared with the pretreatment values in group A (p < 0.05) but not in group B (25.9+/-16.9%). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the degree of histologic improvement. These results suggest that hepatic Fas expression is associated with persistent infection of hepatitis C virus.
Okazaki
M
M
First Department of Internal Medicine, Yamaguchi University, School of Medicine, Japan.
Hino
K
K
Fujii
K
K
Kobayashi
N
N
Okita
K
K
D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000032:analysis*
D012367:RNA, Viral; D019014:fas Receptor; D007372:Interferons