[Role of tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 and Fas antigen in hepatocellular apoptosis of viral hepatitis B patients].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the role of tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) and Fas antigen in hepatocellular apoptosis and necrosis in viral hepatitis B.


METHODS
Seventy paraffin sections from patients with HBV infection were studied. Five cases of normal liver tissues were studied as control. Apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). TNFR1 and Fas antigen were determined by immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
Hepatocellular apoptosis and the expression of TNFR 1 and Fas antigen on hepatocytes were not detected in normal liver tissues. In contrast, there was a strong reaction in TUNEL assay and TNFR1 or Fas antigen expressed on hepatocytes in liver tissues infected with HBV. The degree of apoptosis and the expression of TNFR 1 or Fas antigen on hepatocytes had distinct difference in different hepatitis (P<0.005). There was a positive correlation between degrees of the expression of Fas and hepatic apoptosis (P<0.005), but the similar result was not observed in the expression of TNFR 1 and hepatocellular apoptosis. Our observations also showed that TNFR1 was detected in cytoplasm and cell membrane similarly, and Fas antigen was mainly detected in cytoplasm. There was not positive correlation between degrees of the expression of TNFR1 and Fas antigen on hepatocytes. It was showed that 60.9% (28/46) hepatocytes with strong reaction in TUNEL assay expressed both TNFR1 and Fas antigen.


CONCLUSIONS
The degrees of hepatocellular apoptosis and necrosis induced by Fas antigen are stronger than that induced by TNF. The expression of Fas and TNFR 1 on hepatocytes simultaneously may enhance hepatocellular apoptosis in hepatitis B patients.
Qin
B
B
Viral Hepatitis Institute, Chongqing University of Medical Sciences, Chongqing 400010, China.
Zhang
D
D
Ma
Y
Y
Ren
H
H
D017209:Apoptosis; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I / Q000378:metabolism*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism*
D047888:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type I; D019014:fas Receptor