Biomaterial Database

Ultrastructural findings on polymorphonuclear leucocyte infiltration and acute hepatocellular damage in alcoholic hepatitis. 1987

T Takahashi, and T Kamimura, and F Ichida

Third Department of Internal Medicine, Niigata University School of Medicine, Japan.

Ultrastructural examination was carried out in 13 liver biopsies from patients with alcoholic hepatitis, with special reference to the relationship between alcoholic hyaline (AH)-containing hepatocytes and inflammatory cell infiltration. In as many as one third of the cases, polymorphonuclear leucocyte (PMN) migration into the cytoplasm of AH-containing hepatocytes was noted. The migrating PMNs often had discontinuous cell membranes and their primary and secondary granules were demonstrated to be released into the liver cell cytoplasm. Finally, migrating PMNs appeared collapsed and dying. These PMNs appeared to gather around AH, presumably due to the strong chemoattractive action of AH. The hepatocytes invaded by PMNs revealed various degrees of degeneration and cell necrosis. Occasionally, some lymphocytes infiltrated into hepatocytes and had a direct contact with AH. However, the occurrence of lymphocyte migration was much less than that of PMNs. Kupffer cells were also intermingled with these PMNs and often possessed AH in degraded forms in their phagosomes or phagolysosomes. Based on these results, it is postulated that acute hepatocellular damage in patients with alcoholic hepatitis might be caused by this peculiar type of degranulation and collapse of migrating PMNs against AH-containing hepatocytes in addition to the various causes previously studied.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007728	Kupffer Cells	Specialized phagocytic cells of the MONONUCLEAR PHAGOCYTE SYSTEM found on the luminal surface of the hepatic sinusoids. They filter bacteria and small foreign proteins out of the blood and dispose of worn out red blood cells.	Kupffer Cell,Cell, Kupffer,Cells, Kupffer
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D008214	Lymphocytes	White blood cells formed in the body's lymphoid tissue. The nucleus is round or ovoid with coarse, irregularly clumped chromatin while the cytoplasm is typically pale blue with azurophilic (if any) granules. Most lymphocytes can be classified as either T or B (with subpopulations of each), or NATURAL KILLER CELLS.	Lymphoid Cells,Cell, Lymphoid,Cells, Lymphoid,Lymphocyte,Lymphoid Cell
D009336	Necrosis	The death of cells in an organ or tissue due to disease, injury or failure of the blood supply.
D009504	Neutrophils	Granular leukocytes having a nucleus with three to five lobes connected by slender threads of chromatin, and cytoplasm containing fine inconspicuous granules and stainable by neutral dyes.	LE Cells,Leukocytes, Polymorphonuclear,Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes,Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils,Neutrophil Band Cells,Band Cell, Neutrophil,Cell, LE,LE Cell,Leukocyte, Polymorphonuclear,Neutrophil,Neutrophil Band Cell,Neutrophil, Polymorphonuclear,Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte,Polymorphonuclear Neutrophil
D010587	Phagocytosis	The engulfing and degradation of microorganisms; other cells that are dead, dying, or pathogenic; and foreign particles by phagocytic cells (PHAGOCYTES).	Phagocytoses
D002470	Cell Survival	The span of viability of a cell characterized by the capacity to perform certain functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, some form of responsiveness, and adaptability.	Cell Viability,Cell Viabilities,Survival, Cell,Viabilities, Cell,Viability, Cell
D002634	Chemotaxis, Leukocyte	The movement of leukocytes in response to a chemical concentration gradient or to products formed in an immunologic reaction.	Leukotaxis,Leukocyte Chemotaxis
D006519	Hepatitis, Alcoholic	INFLAMMATION of the LIVER due to ALCOHOL ABUSE. It is characterized by NECROSIS of HEPATOCYTES, infiltration by NEUTROPHILS, and deposit of MALLORY BODIES. Depending on its severity, the inflammatory lesion may be reversible or progress to LIVER CIRRHOSIS.	Alcoholic Hepatitis,Chronic Alcoholic Hepatitis,Hepatitis, Alcoholic, Chronic,Alcoholic Hepatitis, Chronic,Chronic Alcoholic Hepatitides
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man