Related Experiment Videos
[Quantitative histoenzymological studies in the diagnosis of chronic viral hepatitis]
Insights
This study on chronic viral hepatitis found increased alkaline phosphatase and 5-nucleotidase activity in active disease, while persistent hepatitis showed higher pigment levels. These enzyme and pigment markers aid in diagnosing hepatitis activity.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Gastroenterology
- Biochemistry
Context:
- Chronic viral hepatitis affects a significant patient population.
- Distinguishing between chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH) and chronic active hepatitis (CAH) is crucial for patient management.
- Liver biopsy remains a key diagnostic tool.
Purpose:
- To investigate the utility of histochemical markers, specifically alkaline phosphatase (AP) and 5-nucleotidase (5-Nuc) activity, and intracellular pigment levels in differentiating CPH from CAH.
- To correlate enzyme activity and pigment levels with disease activity using stereologic methods.
Summary:
- Histochemical and stereologic analyses were performed on liver biopsy specimens from 89 patients with chronic viral hepatitis.
- Chronic active hepatitis (CAH) cases showed a significant increase in the area of sinusoids active for AP and 5-Nuc compared to chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH) cases.
- CPH patients exhibited substantially higher levels of intracellular hepatocyte pigments.
Impact:
- Findings suggest that elevated AP and 5-Nuc activity in sinusoids are indicative of CAH.
- Higher hepatocyte pigment levels may be associated with CPH.
- These histochemical markers can potentially improve the assessment of chronic viral hepatitis activity, especially with limited biopsy samples.
Abstract:
The examination has involved 89 patients with chronic viral hepatitis, aged 14 to 59, 68 male and 21 female ones. Thirty-two (36.0%) patients suffered from chronic viral hepatitis B. Life-time biopsy of the liver was performed in all the cases. Chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH) has been diagnosed in 39 patients, chronic active one (CAH) in 50. Histochemical examinations of the biopsy specimens included measurements of alkaline phosphatase (AP) by the azocompound method, of 5-nucleotidase (5-Nuc) by the Ca-Co method, and of hepatocyte pigments. Stereologic methods were used in morphometric analysis of the area of sinusoids active for AP and 5-Nuc enzymes and of the intracellular pigment level with consideration for their distribution in the hepatic lobe. The findings evidence a significant increase of the area of sinusoids active for AP and 5-Nuc in CAH patients, in contrast to those with CPH, but the latter group has developed much higher levels of hepatocyte pigments. These data may be useful to specify the activity of chronic viral hepatitis in cases with poorly representative biopsy specimens.