Pathology of hepatic peroxisomes in chronic hepatitis B and immunosuppression.

After kidney transplantation and immunosuppressive therapy patients with chronic hepatitis B show not only peroxisome proliferation in hepatocytes but also additional alterations of these organelles: lysis and occasional complete loss of peroxisomes in HBsAg areas as well as lysis and/or autophagocytic degradation of peroxisomes in hepatocytes which contained hepatitis-B virus particles. Two mechanisms are suggested as being significant for the numerical decrease of peroxisomes in HBsAg areas: Reduced neogenesis, but typical lytic degradation; Direct toxic action of immunosuppressive substances. For elucidation further studies have to be undertaken.