Hepatic fibrosis. The relation between proliferating bile ductules and alpha1-antitrypsin

Since there is a remarkable increase in connective tissue around the proliferating bile ductules in chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis, the participation of proliferating bile ductules in hepatic fibrosis has been discussed by many during the past. With the use of immunofluorescent method, the present authors have recently succeeded in detecting alpha1-antitrypsin, a protease inhibitor, in the epithelial cells of proliferating bile ductules and a portion of the hepatocytes connected with these epithelial cells. When considering the posibility of alpha1-antitrypsin being secreted into the interstitial tissue, it is conceivable that this glycoprotein plays an important role in restraining collagenase activity, which takes part in the degradation of collagen, and leads to abnormal proliferation of collagen.