A serum amyloid A-positive hepatocellular neoplasm arising in alcoholic cirrhosis: a previously unrecognized type of inflammatory hepatocellular tumor

Hepatocellular adenoma usually arises in the absence of significant fibrosis. Herein, we report seven patients with serum amyloid A-positive hepatocellular neoplasm, which shares features with inflammatory hepatocellular adenoma arising in alcoholic cirrhosis. Seven patients (two women and five men, age range 41-67 years) with hypervascular hepatocellular nodules associated with alcoholic cirrhosis were retrieved from our pathological files (1997-2011). The hepatocellular nodules were multiple (>3) in all patients and 17 nodules were histologically examined. We surveyed the immunoreactivity for serum amyloid A, glutamine synthetase, and glypican-3 in the hepatocellular nodules and control lesions, including 5 focal nodular hyperplasia, 18 dysplastic nodules, and 54 hepatocellular carcinomas in various background diseases. In all, 15 of 17 nodules showed strong and distinct immunoreactivity for serum amyloid A, sharing features with inflammatory hepatocellular adenoma. The serum amyloid A-positive hepatocellular neoplasms showed increased cellular density, inflammatory infiltrate, sinusoidal dilatation, and ductular reaction to various degrees. Although about a half of dysplastic nodules and hepatocellular carcinomas showed focal immunoreactivity for serum amyloid A, the extent of serum amyloid A expression was significantly higher in serum amyloid A-positive hepatocellular neoplasms, than in control nodules. The serum amyloid A-positive hepatocellular neoplasms did not show the overexpression of glutamine synthetase or immunoreactivity for glypican-3. In contrast, most hepatocellular carcinomas showed the overexpression of glutamine synthetase and immunoreactivity for glypican-3, irrespective of background diseases. In conclusion, this study highlights a characteristic group of hepatocellular neoplasms arising in alcoholic cirrhosis, which share features with inflammatory hepatocellular adenomas. These serum amyloid A-positive hepatocellular neoplasms may be a new type of inflammatory hepatocellular tumors in alcoholic patients.