CELLULAR-DISTRIBUTION OF ANDROGEN RECEPTORS IN THE LIVER

In order to determine the cellular distribution of androgen receptors (AR) in normal liver and to examine whether phenotypic changes occur i n a variety of non-neoplastic Liver diseases, cryostat sections of exp lanted Livers removed from 52 consecutive patients undergoing orthotop ic transplantation were immunostained using an anti-androgen receptor monoclonal antibody. In histologically normal Liver, AR was immunoloca lised to the nuclei of hepatocytes. The proportion of positive hepatoc ytes varied from about 50% to greater than 90%. Staining, of variable intensity, was restricted to parenchymal cells with no evidence of zon al heterogeneity with respect to labelling intensity. In tissue from p atients with biliary cirrhoses and in some cases of alcoholic cirrhosi s, labelling for AR was observed in areas of ductular metaplasia but n ot in areas of ''typical'' ductular reaction (ductular proliferation). Otherwise, no consistent abnormalities in immunolabelling were seen i n any of the diseased livers.