[Capillarisation of hepatic sinusoids in chronic hepatitis--immunohistochemical evaluation].

UNLABELLED: Capillarisation of hepatic sinusoids is a well recognized phenomenon occurring in chronic hepatitis as well as in hepatocellular carcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Tissue sections were obtained by liver biopsy from 35 patients with different degrees of chronic hepatitis. The specimens were fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin and an immunohistochemical investigation was performed by the standard avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method with CD34. RESULTS: The sinusoids of normal liver showed no immunoreactivity. CD34 (+) staining was present in portal vessels and only in periportal areas in chronic hepatitis with mild activity. In cases with severe chronic hepatitis CD34 (+) staining was important in portal areas and with focal distribution on sinusoid endothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the expression of CD34 by sinusoidal endothelial cells may reflect the phenotypic change of endothelial cells in chronic hepatitis and CD34 can be used as endothelial marker to evaluate the sinusoid lesions.