title: Decreased S100B expression in chronic liver diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hepatic innervation in liver diseases is not fully understood. We here evaluated S100B expression as a marker of hepatic nerves in patients with various chronic liver diseases, topographically and semi-quantitatively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Liver specimens were obtained from 70 subjects (three controls, and 32 chronic hepatitis B, 14 chronic hepatitis C, 14 liver cirrhosis, and seven hepatocellular carcinoma patients). The hepatic nerve density was calculated based on immunohistochemical staining of S100B protein in the portal tracts and hepatic lobules.S100BmRNA levels were semi-quantitatively assessed as theS100B/glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) mRNA ratio.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The densities of the hepatic nerves in portal tracts of chronic liver diseases were not significantly different from those of normal controls but the hepatic nerve densities in lobular areas of liver cirrhosis were significantly decreased (p= 0.025). Compared to the control, theS100B/GAPDHmRNA ratio was significantly decreased in chronic liver diseases (p= 0.006) and most decreased in chronic hepatitis C patients (p= 0.023). In chronic liver diseases, TheS100B/GAPDHmRNA ratio tended to decrease as the fibrosis score > 0 (p= 0.453) but the overall correlation between theS100B/GAPDHmRNA ratio and fibrosis score was not statistically significant (r= 0.061,p= 0.657).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hepatic innervation is decreased in cirrhotic regenerating nodules compared to the control group and seems to decrease in early stages of fibrosis progression. Further studies are needed to clarify the association between changes of hepatic innervation and chronic liver disease progression.
authors.affiliation: Healthcare Research Team, Health Promotion Center, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Su Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Baik
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Tae Hun
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Il Hwan
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ju Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary, College of Medicine, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyu Won
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Eun
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; C579160:S100B protein, human
keywords: Chronic liver disease; Fibrosis; Hepatitis; Nerve fibers; S100 proteins