title: Participation of peribiliary glands in biliary tract pathophysiologies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the roles of peribiliary glands around the bile ducts in the pathophysiology of the biliary tract.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of fetal pancreatic markers, pancreatic duodenal homeobox factor 1 (PDX1) and hairy and enhancer of split 1 (HES1) and endodermal stem/progenitor (S/P) cell markers [CD44s, chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4), SOX9 and epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)] were examined immunohistochemically in 32 normal adult livers (autopsy livers) and 22 hepatolithiatic livers (surgically resected livers). The latter was characterized by the proliferation of the peribiliary glands. Immunohistochemistry was performed using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections after deparaffinization. Although PDX1 and HES1 were expressed in both the nucleus and cytoplasm of epithelial cells, only nuclear staining was evaluated. SOX9 was expressed in the nucleus, while CD44s, CXCR4 and EpCAM were expressed in the cell membranes. The frequency and extent of the expression of these molecules in the lining epithelia and peribiliary glands were evaluated semi-quantitatively based on the percentage of positive cells: 0, 1+ (focal), 2+ (moderate) and 3+ (extensive).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In normal livers, PDX1 was infrequently expressed in the lining epithelia, but was frequently expressed in the peribiliary glands. In contrast, HES1 was frequently expressed in the lining epithelia, but its expression in the peribiliary glands was focal, suggesting that the peribiliary glands retain the potential of differentiation toward the pancreas and the lining epithelia exhibit properties to inhibit such differentiation. This unique combination was also seen in hepatolithiatic livers. The expression of endodermal S/P cell markers varied in the peribiliary glands in normal livers: SOX9 and EpCAM were frequently expressed, CD44s infrequently, and CXCR4 almost not at all. The expression of these markers, particularly CD44s and CXCR4, increased in the peribiliary glands and lining epithelia in hepatolithiatic livers. This increased expression of endodermal S/P cell markers may be related to the increased production of intestinal and gastric mucin and also to the biliary neoplasia associated with the gastric and intestinal phenotypes reported in hepatolithiasis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The unique expression pattern of PDX1 and HES1 and increased expression of endodermal S/P cell markers in the peribiliary glands may be involved in biliary pathophysiologies.
authors.affiliation: Saya Igarashi, Yasunori Sato, Xiang Shan Ren, Kenichi Harada, Motoko Sasaki, Yasuni Nakanuma, Department of Human Pathology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanazawa 920-8640, Japan.
authors.forename: Saya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Igarashi
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Xiang Shan
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Motoko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Yasuni
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakanuma
keywords: Biliary tree; Differentiation; Pancreas; Pancreatic duodenal homeobox factor 1; Peribiliary glands; Stem cells
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