[Structural and functional changes in the liver in chronic recurrent cholecystitis]

Area of Science:

• Hepatology
• Gastroenterology
• Pathology

Background:

• Recurrent chronic cholecystitis involves inflammation and structural changes in the gallbladder.
• The liver's role in the pathological process of recurrent cholecystitis requires further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the morphological and functional alterations in hepatic tissue associated with varying frequencies of chronic cholecystitis recurrence.
• To establish correlations between liver pathology and the severity of cholecystitis recurrence.

Main Methods:

• Morphological examination of liver tissue samples from the gall bladder bed.
• Analysis of hepatocyte inclusions (lipids, lysosomes, microbodies), endoplasmic reticulum, and ribosomes.
• Assessment of liver's capacity to absorb radioactive labels.
• Measurement of serum alanine transaminase (ALT) levels.
• Evaluation of oxidative processes in liver mitochondrial fractions.

Main Results:

• Destructive, inflammatory, and sclerotic hepatic changes were observed, with increased lipid inclusions, lysosomes, and microbodies in hepatocytes.
• Hepatocyte changes included endoplasmic reticulum vesiculation and ribosomal granule depletion.
• A correlation was found between lipid resorption, lysosome/microbody content, and glycogen accumulation in hepatic cells.
• Destructive liver changes correlated with reduced radioactive label uptake, elevated ALT, and decreased mitochondrial oxidative activity.
• The severity of liver pathology was directly related to the frequency of cholecystitis recurrence.

Conclusions:

• The liver is significantly involved in the pathological process of recurrent chronic cholecystitis.
• Morphological and functional liver changes are indicative of the disease's recurrent nature.
• The study highlights the liver as a key organ affected by the progression of chronic cholecystitis.