title: [Mechanism of spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the mechanism of spontaneous rupture of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  The specimens of 30 patients with ruptured HCC and 30 patients with non-ruptured HCC were collected. Immunofluorescence, immunohistochemical and flow cytometry techniques were used to detect the phagocytosis of macrophages and the deposition of immune complex (IC) on vascular wall.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, the poor function of macrophage phagocytosis was found in patients with ruptured HCC, which could results in the cumulating of IC and deposition on vascular wall. The IC, which composed of hepatitis B virus e1 antigen (HBeAg/1), complement C1q and immunoglobulins, was found deposited in the elastic membrane of arteries. Likely as a result of IC deposition, vascular injury occurs mainly in the small arteries where the deposition of IC was present. As the small arteries were the blood vessels with predominant injury, they would likely to be the ones to split and cause hemorrhage and rupture of HCC during vascular load increase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We would conclude that the poor function of macrophage phagocytosis, which lead to the IC deposition and vascular injury may be the factors involved in the pathogenesis of ruptured HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230022, China.
authors.forename: Li-xin
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xiao-ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: Shang-da
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015922:Complement C1q / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D015922:Complement C1q