[Disappearance of Mallory bodies in the liver of autopsy cases with a history of heavy drinking].

Mallory bodies, the intra-cytoplasmic inclusions in hepatocytes, are thought to be a pathognomonic feature of alcoholic liver disease, particularly of alcoholic hepatitis. The presence of Mallory bodies is considered as a reflection of serious illness in alcoholic liver disease. Mallory bodies are thought to disappear relatively rapidly with the use of therapeutic agents after giving up alcohol drinking. However, histological vicissitudes of Mallory bodies have not been studied extensively. In the present study, 19 autopsied cases with a history of heavy drinking were clinicopathologically evaluated. All patients were admitted to our hospital, and stopped alcohol drinking. These period of non-drinking ranged from one day to 150 days (group A: 1-7 days, group B: 8-30 days, group C: 31-150 days). Histological evaluation was performed by hematoxylin and eosin staining, Luxol Fast blue staining and chromotrope aniline blue staining of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded liver sections. Hepatocytes including Mallory bodies were counted. The incidence of Mallory body formation was as follows: Group A (50%), group B (100%), and group C (100%) respectively. Average count of Mallory bodies: Group A (12.3/10 fields), group B (141.4/10 fields), and group C (188.3/10 fields). Fatty change was more significant in group A than in group B or C, and bile stasis was more significant in group B or C than in group A. These findings suggest that Mallory bodies may remain for several months after giving up drinking.