Liver glycogen bodies: ground-glass hepatocytes in transplanted patients.
Ground-glass hepatocytes have been described in Lafora's disease, fibrinogen deposition, hepatitis B, type IV glycogenosis, and alcohol aversion (cyanamide) therapy. We encountered ground-glass hepatocytes with intracytoplasmic inclusions in four liver biopsies from three transplanted patients who had none of the above-mentioned underlying diseases. One patient was a 4-year-old boy who had a kidney transplant for severe ureterovesical reflux. Patient 2 was a 52-year-old man who had two liver transplants because of hepatitis C. The third patient was a 7-month-old girl who underwent a multivisceral transplant because of necrotizing enterocolitis and liver failure induced by total parenteral nutrition. The patients developed liver abnormalities from 45 days to 4 years after their transplants. The livers showed conspicuous ground-glass hepatocytes in 90% of the children's samples and 30% of the adult liver cells. The cytoplasmic bodies stained strongly for Gomori methenamine-silver; they were positive for periodic acid-Schiff without diastase, but negative after diastase digestion. They were negative for colloidal iron and hepatitis B core and surface antigens. Electron microscopy revealed non-membrane bound aggregates of glycogen. Idiopathic ground-glass hepatocytes occur in transplanted patients and represent accumulation of altered glycogen. However, their clinical significance and cause are not entirely elucidated.
Bejarano
Pablo A
PA
Department of Pathology, University of Miami School of Medicine, Jackson Memorial Hospital, 1611 NW 12th Ave Holtz Bldg, Room 2042, Miami, FL 33136, USA. pbejaran@med.miami.edu
Garcia
Monica T
MT
Rodriguez
Maria M
MM
Ruiz
Phillip
P
Tzakis
Andreas G
AG
D002675:Child, Preschool; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007223:Infant; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008112:Liver Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D008112:Liver Glycogen