Up-regulation of transferrin receptor 1 in chronic hepatitis C: Implication in excess hepatic iron accumulation.
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.
Saito
Hiroyuki
H
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Asahikawa Medical College, 2-1 Midorigaoka-Higashi, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan.
Fujimoto
Yoshinori
Y
Ohtake
Takaaki
T
Suzuki
Yasuaki
Y
Sakurai
Shinobu
S
Hosoki
Yayoi
Y
Ikuta
Katsuya
K
Torimoto
Yoshihiro
Y
Kohgo
Yutaka
Y