title: Expression of tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand and caspase-3 in relation to grade of inflammation and stage of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether the distribution of the recently described proapoptotic ligand, tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), and the apoptosis effector, caspase-3 alters with the degree of inflammation and fibrosis present in liver biopsy specimens from patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression of TRAIL and caspase-3 was assessed immunohistochemically in liver biopsy specimens obtained from 89 adults with chronic hepatitis C. Expression of TRAIL in hepatocytes correlated inversely with stage of fibrosis (P = 0.001), classified according to the Scheuer score; expression of caspase-3 in hepatocytes correlated with grade of inflammation (P = 0.012). Expression of TRAIL in hepatocytes was not correlated with grade of inflammation (P > 0.05); expression of caspase-3 was not correlated with stage of fibrosis (P > 0.05). Maximum expression of proapoptotic TRAIL protein was observed in cases with low grade inflammation (G0) and low stage fibrosis (S1). Maximum expression of caspase-3 in hepatocytes was observed in cases with high grade inflammation (G3-4) and high stage fibrosis (S3), but not with liver cirrhosis (S4).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a significant decrease in TRAIL expression with increasing grade of inflammation, whereas caspase-3 expression is significantly increased with advanced fibrosis, short of cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Hepatology, Chair of Infectious Diseases, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland. annapiekar@op.pl
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piekarska
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kubiak
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Omulecka
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Szymczak
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Piekarski
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; C505653:TNFSF10 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3