Hepatic expression of cell proliferation markers and growth factors in giant cell hepatitis: implications for the pathogenetic mechanisms involved.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine whether amitotic division or nuclear proliferation is involved in the formation of giant cells (GCs) in giant cell hepatitis (GCH).

Patients And Methods: Liver sections from 18 pediatric patients with idiopathic infantile GCH and 12 patients with postinfantile GCH were evaluated for the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and human histone 3 (H3) mRNA, transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-α), TGF-β1, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).

Results: Proliferation markers were detected in 1% to 80% in the nuclei of GC and non-GC hepatocytes in 10 of 18 (56%) infantile GCH biopsies and 11 of 12 (92%) postinfantile GCH biopsies, but not in normal liver. The expression of proliferation markers in GCs paralleled that in non-GC hepatocytes (P < 0.05 for both markers). TGF-α and EGFR were detected in both GCs (9/29 and 4/30 patients with infantile or postinfantile GCH, respectively) and non-GC hepatocytes (15/29 and 11/30 patients with infantile or postinfantile GCH, respectively). TGF-β1 and HGF were detected mainly in sinusoidal cells in 20 of 29 and 10 of 30 patients with infantile or postinfantile GCH, respectively; the expression of HGF was positively correlated with PCNA and H3 mRNA in non-GC hepatocytes and with H3 mRNA in GCs (P < 0.01).

Conclusions: Hepatic expressions of nuclear proliferation markers and growth factors were similar in infantile and postinfantile GCH, nuclear proliferation markers were detected in both GCs and non-GC hepatocytes in a high proportion of patients, and expression of HGF correlated positively with the proliferation markers. These data indicate that nuclear proliferation may contribute to the pathogenesis of GCs in at least a proportion of patients with GCH. A model for the pathogenesis of GCH is proposed.