title: Expression of alpha smooth muscle actin in living donor liver transplant recipients.
abstract: Recently, there have been reports from liver biopsies that showed the progression of liver fibrosis in liver transplant patients after the cessation of immunosuppression. Herein, we focused on activated hepatic stellate cells expressing alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) to understand the correlation between immunosuppressant medication and liver fibrosis. The study enrolled two pediatric patients who underwent living donor liver transplantation and ceased immunosuppressant therapy. The number of α-SMA-positive cells in the specimens obtained by liver biopsy from these two patients showed a three-fold increase compared with the number from four transplanted pediatric patients who were continuing immunosuppressant therapy. In addition, the α-SMA-positive area evaluated using the WinRooF image processing software program continued to increase over time in three adult transplanted patients with liver fibrosis, and the α-SMA-positive area was increasing even during the pre-fibrotic stage in these adult cases, according to a retrospective review. Therefore, α-SMA could be a useful marker for the detection of early stage fibrosis.
authors: Masataka Hirabaru, Kyoko Mochizuki, Mitsuhisa Takatsuki, Akihiko Soyama, Taiichiro Kosaka, Tamotsu Kuroki, Susumu Eguchi, Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan.
authors: Masataka
authors: M
authors: Hirabaru
authors: Masataka Hirabaru, Kyoko Mochizuki, Mitsuhisa Takatsuki, Akihiko Soyama, Taiichiro Kosaka, Tamotsu Kuroki, Susumu Eguchi, Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan.
authors: Kyoko
authors: K
authors: Mochizuki
authors: Masataka Hirabaru, Kyoko Mochizuki, Mitsuhisa Takatsuki, Akihiko Soyama, Taiichiro Kosaka, Tamotsu Kuroki, Susumu Eguchi, Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan.
authors: Mitsuhisa
authors: M
authors: Takatsuki
authors: Masataka Hirabaru, Kyoko Mochizuki, Mitsuhisa Takatsuki, Akihiko Soyama, Taiichiro Kosaka, Tamotsu Kuroki, Susumu Eguchi, Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan.
authors: Akihiko
authors: A
authors: Soyama
authors: Masataka Hirabaru, Kyoko Mochizuki, Mitsuhisa Takatsuki, Akihiko Soyama, Taiichiro Kosaka, Tamotsu Kuroki, Susumu Eguchi, Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan.
authors: Taiichiro
authors: T
authors: Kosaka
authors: Masataka Hirabaru, Kyoko Mochizuki, Mitsuhisa Takatsuki, Akihiko Soyama, Taiichiro Kosaka, Tamotsu Kuroki, Susumu Eguchi, Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan.
authors: Tamotsu
authors: T
authors: Kuroki
authors: Masataka Hirabaru, Kyoko Mochizuki, Mitsuhisa Takatsuki, Akihiko Soyama, Taiichiro Kosaka, Tamotsu Kuroki, Susumu Eguchi, Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan.
authors: Isao
authors: I
authors: Shimokawa
authors: Masataka Hirabaru, Kyoko Mochizuki, Mitsuhisa Takatsuki, Akihiko Soyama, Taiichiro Kosaka, Tamotsu Kuroki, Susumu Eguchi, Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan.
authors: Susumu
authors: S
authors: Eguchi
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis*; D001656:Biliary Atresia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D055166:Hepatic Stellate Cells / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007223:Infant; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D066027:Transplant Recipients; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: C541116:ACTA2 protein, human; D000199:Actins; D015415:Biomarkers; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents
keywords: Alpha smooth muscle actin; Hepatic stellate cells; Immunosuppressant therapy; Liver fibrosis; Living donor liver transplantation