title: Up-regulation of transferrin receptor 1 in chronic hepatitis C: Implication in excess hepatic iron accumulation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  : To clarify the mechanism of excess hepatic iron accumulation in chronic hepatitis C, we investigated the expressions of transferrin receptor 1 and divalent metal transporter 1 in hepatocytes, both of which are involved in cellular iron uptake, in relation to the degree of hepatic iron accumulation and hepatic fibrosis by immunohistochemistrical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  : Forty-six hepatic tissues with chronic hepatitis C and five normal hepatic tissues were examined. Chemical detection of hepatic iron accumulation was performed by Perl's Prussian blue stain. The immunohistochemistrical study was performed by avidin-biotin complex method with alkaline phosphatase.
  
  
  RESULTS
  : In chronic hepatitis C: (1) Hepatic iron accumulation was significantly increased in relation to the advance of the fibrosis. (2) Divalent metal transporter 1 decreased significantly in relation to the advance of hepatic fibrosis. (3) Transferrin receptor 1 expression was always detected, although not in normal hepatic tissues; there was no relation between expression levels and the degree of hepatic fibrosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  : These data demonstrated that the transferrin receptor 1 expression was up-regulated irrespective of the degree of hepatic iron accumulation, suggesting that the up-regulation of transferrin receptor 1 might act as one of the key mechanisms implicated in the accumulation of hepatic iron in chronic hepatitis C.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical College, 2-1 Midorigaoka-Higashi, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohtake
authors.forename: Yasuaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Shinobu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Yayoi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hosoki
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikuta
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Torimoto
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kohgo