Ultrastructural Changes of Hepatic Stellate Cells in the Space of Disse in Alcoholic Fatty Liver

INT R O D UC T IO NRecently it was reported that changes in eating patterns and drinking habits resulted in alcoholic liver disease 1) .Alcoholic liver disease is divided into alcoholic fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic liver cirrhosis.The most common form is alcoholic fatty liver in the long-te rm alcohol drinke r.One of the promine nt morphologic findings of a lcoholic live r da mage is fibrogenesis consisting of collagen fibers in normal and edematous liver parenchyma and in the space of Disse 2 ) .It is well known which cells are involved in collagenization of hepatic lobules, but collagen fibers are originated from different cells according to the site of hepatic lobules and stages of lesion 4 ) .The liver comprises at least five different classes of cells.They are hepatocytes, fat-storing (Ito), endothelial, Kupffer and pit cells 6 ) .The main cell in the space of Disse is fat-storing (Ito) cells which are involved in hepatic fibrogenesis 1 1 , 1 2 ) .The purpose of this study was to assess the fibrogenesis in the space of Disse and the role of hepatic stellate cell in patients with normal liver and alcoholic fatty liver under light and electron microscope, and to reveal the ultrastructural changes of hepatic stellate cells in the space of Disse.U lt r a s t r u ct u r a l C h a n g e s o f He p a t ic S t e lla t e Ce lls in t h e S p a c e o f Dis s e in Alc o h o lic Fa t t y Liv e r N a m -Ik H a n , M .D ., Ky u -W o n C h u n g , M .D ., By u n g -M in A h n , M .D ., S a n g -W o o k C h o i