Morphological and immunological features of liver inflammatory infiltrate in children with chronic hepatitis C.

UNLABELLED: The aim of the study was to assess the correlation between morphological and immunological features of lesions in the liver in children with chronic hepatitis C. In the study 11 children with chronic hepatitis C were enrolled. Histopathological and immunomorphological investigations included antigen marking CD45, CD45RA, CD45RO, CD20, CD3, CD8 in liver biopsy specimens. The immunomorphological assessment of the inflammatory infiltrate cells showed the presence of CD45 antigen on the vast majority of leukocytes in the portal tracts and in the lobular parenchyma in all the studied children. One fourth of the inflammatory cells were characterised by CD20 phenotype, 1/2--by CD3 phenotype, 1/3--by CD8 phenotype, 1/3--by CD45RA phenotype and 2/3--by CD45RO phenotype.

CONCLUSIONS

T and B lymphocytes were predominant in hepatic inflammatory infiltrates (T lymphocytes are twice as numerous as B lymphocytes). Among T lymphocytes, cytotoxic and suppressor cells were prevailing. Most T lymphocytes were characterized by CD45RO phenotype, which shows their activation. A positive correlation between most lymphoid cell markers, staging and grading suggests the role of these cells in liver injury.