VASCULAR ADHESION MOLECULE EXPRESSION IN VIRAL CHRONIC HEPATITIS - EVIDENCE OF NEOANGIOGENESIS IN PORTAL TRACTS

Background/Aims: T cell-mediated immune reactions could be crucial for hepatocellular damage in viral chronic hepatitis, The aims of this st udy were to compare the expression of activation and cell adhesion mol ecules on peripheral blood and intrahepatic lymphocytes from chronic h epatitis C and to analyze the intrahepatic expression of vascular adhe sion molecules in viral chronic hepatitis, Methods: Lymphocytes from p atients with chronic hepatitis C were studied by flow cytometry, intra hepatic expression of vascular adhesion molecules was assessed by immu nohistochemistry. Results: Liver-derived T cells showed a high express ion of activation and cell adhesion molecules, interestingly, we obser ved that vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 was up-regulated on both si nusoidal endothelial and portal dendritic cells. A novel finding was t he neoformation of microvessels in inflamed portal tracts. An enhanced expression of endoglin was located on sinusoidal endothelial cells an d on portal tracts. Conclusions: Activated cytotoxic T cells, which sh owed an upregulated expression of cell adhesion molecules, composed th e majority of intrahepatic lymphocytes in chronic hepatitis C. The exp ression of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 on portal dendritic cells and the microvessels neoformation in portal tracts from viral chronic hepatitis could define the main pathway for the recruitment and primi ng of liver-infiltrating T cells.