K. Kotake et al., Human livers with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma have less mitochondrial DNA deletion than normal human livers, LIFE SCI, 64(19), 1999, pp. 1785-1791
We measured the populations of mutated mitochondrial DNAs with the 7,436 bp
or the 4,977 bp deletion from apparently normal human liver and human live
rs with chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The amo
unt of the mutated mitochondrial DNA was at the same level between normal a
nd chronically hepatitic livers but was significantly lower in human livers
with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, especially the latter, sugges
ting that the mutated mitochondrial DNAs may be decreased with the progress
of liver disease from chronic hepatitis to cirrhosis and hepatocellular ca
rcinoma, This phenomenon is opposite to that occuring in the ageing process
.