title: [Study of mechanisms of pancreatic fibrosis and structural changes in liver cirrhotic patients].
abstract: Pancreatic intralobular fibrosis in liver cirrhotic patients was studied immunohistochemically using alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha SMA). Similarly micronodular arrangements of acinar cells and hypertrophy of Langerhans' islands in liver cirrhotic patients were studied using proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). In addition, pancreata in liver cirrhotic patients were studied from apoptotic side. We investigated the histopathologic autopsy findings of 103 patients: 15 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis, 49 patients with non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis and, as controls, 39 patients without a history of alcohol abuse or liver dysfunction. alpha SMA positive area ratio and PCNA positive cell ratio in liver cirrhotic patients were higher than in the controls. In contrast, apoptotic cell ratio in liver cirrhotic patients was lower than in the controls. alpha SMA positive area ratio in patients with pancreatic intralobular fibrosis was higher than in patients without pancreatic intralobular fibrosis. PCNA positive cell ratio in patients with micronodular arrangements of the acinar cells was higher than in patients without micronodular arrangements of the acinar cells. We conclude that pancreata in liver cirrhotic patients are predominant of proliferating changes.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Pathology, Juntendo University, School of Medicine.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takei
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology*