PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - M B De Biasio
AU  - N Periolo
AU  - A Avagnina
AU  - M T García de Dávila
AU  - M Ciocca
AU  - J Goñi
AU  - E de Matteo
AU  - C Galoppo
AU  - M C Cañero-Velasco
AU  - H Fainboim
AU  - A E Muñoz
AU  - L Fainboim
AU  - A C Cherñavsky
TI  - Liver infiltrating mononuclear cells in children with type 1 autoimmune hepatitis
AID  - 10.1136/jcp.2005.028613
DP  - 2006 Apr 01
TA  - Journal of Clinical Pathology
PG  - 417--423
VI  - 59
IP  - 4
4099  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/59/4/417.short
4100  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/59/4/417.full
SO  - J Clin Pathol2006 Apr 01; 59
AB  - Objective: To investigate infiltrating cells in the liver of children with type 1 autoimmune hepatitis (AH-1). Methods: liver biopsies from 24 untreated AH-1 patients (14 children, 10 adults), five patients with hepatitis C virus related chronic hepatitis (HCV), and 10 control liver specimens (CL) were processed for immunohistochemical cell characterisation. Results: Two different cell distribution patterns were detected in the liver of patients with AH-1: (1) CD4+ and CD20+ cells were found in the central areas of the portal tracts (portal distribution); (2) CD8+ cells were observed at the periphery of the portal space (periportal distribution). Some cell subsets, like CD56, CD57, Fas-L, and Bak, showed a non-defined distribution pattern. The presence of two well defined patterns of cell distribution was not observed in HCV and CL (CD4+, CD20+, and CD8+ cells were uniformly distributed in the portal space). In AH-1 and CL, the NK markers CD56 and CD57 were found scattered throughout the liver parenchyma. However, in HCV biopsies, CD56+ cells were also clearly increased in both the portal and the periportal areas. Biopsies of AH-1 and HCV patients showed a uniform distribution of Fas-L and Bak in the portal and periportal areas, with Bak staining also detected in the hepatic parenchyma. Conclusions: Despite clinical and genetic differences, there was a similar distribution of liver infiltrating mononuclear cells in children and adults with AH-1. These results raise the possibility of reclassifying cryptogenic chronic hepatitis by immunohistochemical analysis of infiltrating liver cells.