Aims: To evaluate the role of hepatocyte expression of leucocyte adhesion molecules and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens in the pathogenesis of chronic viral hepatitis.
Methods: The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), lymphocyte function associated antigen 3 (LFA-3), and MHC class I and II antigens on hepatocyte membrane in relation to the histological and biochemical activities was studied in patients with chronic B hepatitis, chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH) n = 23; chronic active hepatitis (CAH) n = 20; chronic D hepatitis (CAH) n = 6; and chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis (CPH n = 4, CAM n = 6). Six of the latter were hepatitis C virus antibody positive.
Results: In chronic B hepatitis ICAM-1 and MHC-I were expressed significantly more in patients with CAH than in those with CPH (p < 0.001), while the expression of LFA-3 and MHC-II showed no significant difference, irrespective of serum HBeAg or hepatitis B virus DNA. Similar findings were noted in non-A, non-B hepatitis. Regardless of the viral aetiology, patients with CAH had a significantly higher degree of ICAM-1 and MHC-I expression than LFA-3 (p < 0.001 v ICAM-1 and MHC-I, respectively) and MHC-II (p < 0.001 v ICAM-1 and MHC-I, respectively) expression. Those with CPH showed little or no difference in the expression of these four molecules. Furthermore, serum ALT values positively correlated with the hepatocyte expression of ICAM-1 (p < 0.001) and MHC-I (p < 0.001), but not LFA-3 (p > 0.05) and MHC-II (p > 0.05).
Conclusions: In chronic viral hepatitis hepatocyte expression of ICAM-1 and MHC-I might be important for immunosurveillance against virally infected hepatocytes, while the expression of LFA-3 and MHC-II does not seem to have a role in the pathogenesis of chronic viral hepatitis.