The value of α-SMA in the evaluation of hepatic... : Histopathology (original) (raw)

Aims

To investigate the value of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), an indicator of stellate cell activation, in predicting fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

Methods and results

The liver biopsy specimens of 30 patients with a clinical diagnosis of CHB were obtained before treatment and scored by Knodell's histological activity index. The specimens were then immunohistochemically stained with α-SMA and semiquantitatively evaluated. Fibrosis and the immunoreactivity of α-SMA in the periportal, perisinusoidal and pericentral areas were compared. Fibrosis and necroinflammatory activity in CHB patients were significantly correlated (P =0.022). Furthermore, the degree of α-SMA expression and the scores of fibrosis (in periportal, perisinusoidal and pericentral areas) were highly correlated (P =0.000, 0.001, 0.000, respectively).

Conclusions

In liver biopsy samples, α-SMA may prove to be a valuable marker in the evaluation of stellate cell activation and fibrosis progression and an early indicator of the development of fibrosis.