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Morphometric and immunohistochemical study of cholangiolocellular carcinoma: comparison with non‐neoplastic cholangiole, interlobular duct and septal duct
Author(s) -
Maeno Sawako,
Kondo Fukuo,
Sano Keiji,
Takada Tadahiro,
Asano Takehide
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of hepato‐biliary‐pancreatic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.63
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1868-6982
pISSN - 1868-6974
DOI - 10.1007/s00534-011-0483-5
Subject(s) - immunohistochemistry , pathology , hepatocellular carcinoma , medicine , cholangiocyte , cytokeratin
Background/purpose The origin of cholangiolocellular carcinoma (CoCC) is still controversial. To solve this problem, morphometric and immunohistochemical features of CoCC were examined. Materials and methods Cancerous ducts: 15 CoCC lesions from 13 resected and two autopsied cases. Non‐neoplastic ducts: 20 specimens of non‐cancerous areas of eight resected CoCC cases and of 12 resected hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases. From these specimens, cholangioles, interlobular ducts of small size (ILD‐S), interlobular ducts of medium size (ILD‐M) and septal ducts were randomly selected. Morphometry The outer and inner diameters of these ducts were measured. Immunohistochemistry: two hepatocyte markers [Hep Par 1 and α‐fetoptotein (AFP)], two cholangiocyte markers (cytokeratin CK7, CK19), a marker for mucin (Muc1), a hepatic stem/progenitor cell marker (c‐Kit) and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) were used. Results Morphometry: both mean values of the outer and inner diameters of CoCC were far larger than those of cholangioles, and showed intermediate values between those of ILD‐S and ILD‐M. Immunohistochemistry: all ducts of CoCCs were negative for the two hepatocyte markers and positive for CK 7. Most CoCC ducts were positive for CK 19. Positive rate of c‐Kit of cholangiole was most remote from that of CoCC. The positive rates of EMA in the membranous area of ducts were similarly very high in CoCC, cholangiole and ILD‐S. Conclusion These results suggest that CoCCs may originate from ILDs.