Department of Medical Education, Center for Anatomy and Functional Morphology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
Anat Rec (Hoboken). 2012 Jul;295(7):1159-67. doi: 10.1002/ar.22504. Epub 2012 May 30.
We have shown a high prevalence of liver fibrosis in elderly cadavers with diverse causes of death by Sirius red stain; however, the various collagen types in these samples have yet to be evaluated. To further characterize the histopathology of the fibrotic lesions in the livers of these elderly cadavers, this study used immunohistochemistry and histochemistry to identify the principal collagens produced in liver fibrosis, fibrogenic cells and elastic fibers. Collagen I and III immunoreactions were found to colocalize in collagen fibers of fibrotic central veins, perisinusoidal fibrotic foci, portal tract stroma, and fibrous septa. α-Smooth muscle actin-expressing perisinusoidal hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), as well as perivenular, portal, and septal myofibroblasts, were closely associated with collagen fibers, reflecting their fibrogenic functions. HSCs and myofibroblasts were also noted to express collagen IV, which may contribute to production of basal lamina-like structures. In fibrotic livers, the sinusoidal lining showed variable immunostaining for collagen IV. Collagen IV immunostaining revealed vascular proliferation and atypical ductular reaction at the portal-septal parenchymal borders, as well as capillary-like vessels in the lobular parenchyma. While elastic fibers were absent in the space of Disse, they were found to codistribute with collagens in portal tracts, fibrous septa and central veins. Our combined assessment of collagen types, HSCs, myofibroblasts, and elastic fibers is significant in understanding the histopathology of fibrosis in the aging liver.
我们通过 Sirius 红染色显示，具有不同死亡原因的老年尸检肝脏中存在高纤维化患病率；然而，这些样本中的各种胶原类型尚未得到评估。为了进一步描述这些老年尸检肝脏中纤维病变的组织病理学特征，本研究使用免疫组织化学和组织化学来鉴定肝纤维化中产生的主要胶原、纤维母细胞和弹性纤维。发现胶原 I 和 III 免疫反应在纤维化中央静脉、窦周纤维灶、门管区基质和纤维性间隔的胶原纤维中发生共定位。表达α-平滑肌肌动蛋白的窦周肝星状细胞（HSCs）以及门管区、间隔的肌纤维母细胞与胶原纤维密切相关，反映了它们的纤维生成功能。还注意到 HSCs 和肌纤维母细胞表达胶原 IV，这可能有助于产生基底膜样结构。在纤维化肝脏中，窦状内皮显示出胶原 IV 的可变免疫染色。胶原 IV 免疫染色显示在门管区实质边界处的血管增生和非典型小管反应，以及小叶实质中的毛细血管样血管。虽然弹性纤维在 Disse 间隙中不存在，但在门管区、纤维性间隔和中央静脉中发现它们与胶原共分布。我们对胶原类型、HSCs、肌纤维母细胞和弹性纤维的综合评估对于理解老化肝脏纤维化的组织病理学具有重要意义。
