title: Subcellular shift of the hepatic growth hormone receptor with progression of hepatitis C virus-related chronic liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the cytoplasmic and nuclear expression of hepatic growth hormone receptor (GHR) in different stages (S0, S1, S3 and S4, according to Knodell's classification) of chronic liver disease (CLD) and in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Liver specimens from 31 patients with hepatitis C virus-related CLD, five patients with HCC and nine controls were examined for expression of hepatic GHR by immunohistochemistry with MAb 263. Cytoplasmic and nuclear staining were evaluated as a percentage of positively stained cells. The cytoplasmic expression of GHR was comparable between normal liver and S0 hepatitis, while it progressively decreased in S1, S3 and S4 CLD (P < 0.01). Conversely, nuclear GHR showed increased expression in S3 and S4 CLD (P < 0.05). No differences were observed between HCC and normal liver in terms of GHR immunoreactivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to show that the subcellular expression of hepatic GHR changes with the progression of CLD. The increase in nuclear expression of GHR with advanced stages of CLD suggests that GH may act directly at the nuclear level to promote hepatocyte proliferation/regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine and Hepatology Laboratory, Centre of Interdisciplinary Research (CIR), Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Vespasiani Gentilucci
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Perrone
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Galati
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Avola
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Zardi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rabitti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Dominicis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Afeltra
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Picardi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011986:Receptors, Somatotropin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011986:Receptors, Somatotropin