COMPARATIVE QUANTITATIVE-ANALYSIS OF MACROPHAGE POPULATIONS DEFINED BY CD68 AND CARBOHYDRATE ANTIGENS IN NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICALLY ALTERED HUMAN LIVER-TISSUE

Liver macrophages, which are involved in the different types of hepati tis, may indirectly induce hepatic fibrogenesis, since they have the p ossibility to activate hepatic stellate cells and fibroblasts by secre tion of TGF-beta, TNF-alpha and IL-I. To evaluate variations of the nu mber of liver macrophages and their subpopulations, a quantification w as carried out in normal human liver tissue, fatty liver, fatty liver hepatitis and hepatitis B. Identification was performed by the mab PG- M1 (anti-CD68) and, comparatively, four lectins, Griffonia simplicifol ia agglutinin I (GSA-I), Erythrina cristagalli agglutinin (ECA), peanu t agglutinin (PNA) and soybean agglutinin (SBA). A slight decrease in the frequency of macrophages in pericentral fields was observable in f atty liver and fatty liver hepatitis as compared to normal liver tissu e. On the other hand, the number of CD68(+) cells was significantly en hanced in hepatitis B with moderate and severe inflammatory activity. The highest incidence of macrophages was found in portal tracts of liv er with fatty liver hepatitis and, particularly, hepatitis B. The frac tion of cells stained by EGA, PNA or SEA did not increase significantl y under pathological conditions. In contrast, the percentage of GSA-I binding macrophages was higher in liver parenchyma of hepatitis B and in portal tract macrophages in fatty liver hepatitis and also hepatiti s B. In conclusion, our results indicate that GSA-I may aid in the det ection of the subpopulation of activated macrophages which are assumed to play a pivotal role in liver pathology.