Human livers with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma have less mitochondrial DNA deletion than normal human livers

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 .