Estimation of chronic hepatitis C activity based on ultrastructural changes of hepatocytes

Seventy four liver bioptic specimens of 66 patients with chronic hepatitis C were analyzed ultrastructurally and by light microscopy. According to histological activity of the disease, the patients were divided in groups with minimal activity (CPHa), mild activity (CPHb-CAHa), and moderate and severe activity (CAHb,c), respectively. The presence of lamelar, simple and complex lipid inclusions in the cytoplasm, as well as the presence of nuclear bodies and morphology of the nucleolus were analyzed by classic methods of transmission electron microscopy. Cytoplasmic lamelar inclusions were found in 84.6% of patients, and simple and complex lipid inclusions were noted in 85.1% of patients, without the differences related to histological and enzyme activity. Unaltered nucleolus was most frequently observed in patients with minimal disease activity (84.6%), viral changed in patients with mild activity (48.4%) and synthetic active in patients with moderate and severe activity (66%). Serum aminotransferase activity was significantly higher in patients with viral changed and synthetic active nucleolus. These results can indicate that HCV induces cytopathogenic and immunologic damage of hepatocytes. The presence of virus acts as toxic agent that damages hepathocytes' metabolism, thus resulting in occurrence of cytoplasmic lamelar, simple and complex lipid inclusions, respectively. Immunologic damages occur when the virus alters cell membrane of hepatocytes.