Enzan H, Himeno H, Iwamura S, Onishi S, Saibara T, Yamamoto Y, Hara H
First Department of Pathology, Kochi Medical School, Japan.
Hepatology. 1994 Apr;19(4):895-903. doi: 10.1016/0270-9139(94)90289-5.
The purpose of this study is to clarify the morphological characteristics and functional significance of the perisinusoidal stromal cells in hepatocellular carcinoma. The liver specimens surgically resected from 24 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were studied by electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry using monoclonal antibodies against alpha-smooth muscle actin, vimentin and desmin. In the tissue space between endothelial cells and trabeculae of cancer cells, the stromal cells were frequently found. They were strongly positive for alpha-smooth muscle actin, weakly and less frequently positive for vimentin but negative for desmin. They varied in shape, size and distribution, stretching cytoplasmic processes and occasionally surrounding the trabeculae of cancer cells. They contained considerable amounts of microfilaments that were positive for alpha-smooth muscle actin and condensed in cell periphery. Along the cell membrane, the short dense areas and pinocytotic vesicles were seen. The external lamina incompletely invested the stromal cells. They were always surrounded by amorphous material. In the granulation tissue and fibrotic areas around necrotic cancer tissue, they were increased in size and number. On the other hand, immunohistochemically and ultrastructurally, they closely resembled the Ito cells in the piecemeal necrosis that showed myofibroblastic transformation. These results suggest that the perisinusoidal stromal cells in nonnecrotic cancer tissue produce the extracellular matrix in the tissue space and maintain the cancerous trabecular structure. After necrosis of cancer tissue, they may become activated and actively participate in the fibrosis.
本研究的目的是阐明肝细胞癌中肝血窦周基质细胞的形态学特征和功能意义。对24例肝细胞癌患者手术切除的肝脏标本进行电子显微镜检查和免疫组织化学研究，使用抗α-平滑肌肌动蛋白、波形蛋白和结蛋白的单克隆抗体。在内皮细胞与癌细胞小梁之间的组织间隙中，经常发现基质细胞。它们对α-平滑肌肌动蛋白呈强阳性，对波形蛋白呈弱阳性且阳性频率较低，对结蛋白呈阴性。它们在形状、大小和分布上各不相同，伸展着细胞质突起，偶尔围绕癌细胞小梁。它们含有大量对α-平滑肌肌动蛋白呈阳性且在细胞周边浓缩的微丝。沿细胞膜可见短而密集的区域和吞饮小泡。外板不完全包绕基质细胞。它们总是被无定形物质包围。在坏死癌组织周围的肉芽组织和纤维化区域，它们的大小和数量增加。另一方面，免疫组织化学和超微结构研究表明，它们与显示肌成纤维细胞转化的碎片状坏死中的贮脂细胞非常相似。这些结果表明，非坏死癌组织中的肝血窦周基质细胞在组织间隙中产生细胞外基质并维持癌性小梁结构。癌组织坏死后，它们可能被激活并积极参与纤维化过程。
