M. Sawabe et al., FOCAL HEPATOCELLULAR NECROSIS AND PORTAL LYMPHOCYTIC INFILTRATION OF THE LIVER IN CHRONIC-ALCOHOLICS - HISTOPATHOLOGICAL STUDY OF 40 LIVER BIOPSIES, Pathology international, 44(8), 1994, pp. 611-617
Forty liver biopsies of hepatitis B surface antigen negative chronic a
lcoholics were histologically studied to assess the influence of hepat
itis C virus (HCV)-infection. A moderate degree of focal hepatocellula
r necrosis and/or portal lymphocytic infiltration (FHN-PLI) was observ
ed in 28% of the specimens, being especially prevalent in advanced cas
es of fibrosis and cirrhosis, and significantly correlated with HCV-in
fection. Eleven of these cases were examined in detail: HCV-infection
was detected in eight and lymphocytic infiltration was apparent in the
portal area, accompanied by formation of lymph follicles. The FHN-PLI
was ascribed to alcoholic hepatitis in two HCV-negative cases and was
concluded to be of unknown etiology in the remaining one HCV-negative
case. This study thus indicated that over two-thirds of cases of chro
nic hepatitis in alcoholics can be attributed to HCV-infection, with t
he remainder being at least partly related to alcoholic hepatitis. The
prevalence of alcohol-induced chronic hepatitis based on immunopathol
ogical findings was unclear, but was probably less frequent than previ
ously reported.