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Characterization of biliary intra‐epithelial lymphocytes at different anatomical levels of intrahepatic bile ducts under normal and pathological conditions: Numbers of CD4 + CD28 – intra‐epithelial lymphocytes are increased in primary biliary cirrhosis
Author(s) -
Isse Kumiko,
Harada Kenichi,
Sato Yasunori,
Nakanuma Yasuni
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
pathology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1827
pISSN - 1320-5463
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1827.2006.01913.x
Subject(s) - pathology , intrahepatic bile ducts , pathological , bile duct diseases , epithelium , medicine , biology , bile duct , gastroenterology
Distribution of intra‐epithelial lymphocytes along intrahepatic biliary tree ( b IEL), and their density and phenotype were examined in normal and diseased livers, particularly in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Immunohistochemically, b IEL were examined in 28 normal livers, 13 cases of chronic viral hepatitis (CVH), 13 cases of PBC, five cases of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), seven cases of extrahepatic biliary obstruction (EBO), and 16 hepatolithiatic livers. In normal livers, b IEL were relatively dense at large and septal bile ducts compared to interlobular ducts. Most of them were positive for CD3 and CD8, while a few were positive for CD4, CD20 and CD57. In CVH, PSC and EBO, neither distribution, phenotype nor density of b IEL differed from normal liver. In hepatolithiasis, numbers of CD8 + b IEL were increased in stone‐containing ducts. In PBC, numbers of CD4 + CD28 – b IEL, which are reportedly responsible for target tissue destruction in autoimmune diseases, were markedly increased in damaged interlobular ducts. In conclusion, CD3 + CD8 + b IEL may be involved in immune homeostasis of intrahepatic bile ducts in normal livers and in CVH, PSC and EBO. Altered distribution and phenotypes of b IEL in PBC and hepatolithiasis may reflect their participation in biliary lesions. Increased CD4 + CD28 – b IEL in damaged bile ducts of PBC may be related to immune‐mediated biliary damage.