Histochemical study of hyaluronate in alcoholic liver disease

Recently, it has been reported that serum hyaluronate (hyaluronic acid; HA) concentrations increase in various liver diseases, especially in alcoholic liver disease (ALD), and serum HA concentration has been used as a marker for hepatic fibrosis. However, it is unknown whether hepatic HA contents in ALD increase by alcohol or not. In this study, we histochemically stained HA in liver biopsy specimens obtained from ALD patients while actively drin king and after abstinence to clarify the effects of alcohol on hepatic HA c ontents. Liver biopsy specimens were obtained hom 13 patients with ALD and 10 patients with non-ALD. In ALD patients, liver biopsy was performed twice within 3 days, and 4 to 8 weeks after abstinence when serum levels of AST and ALT normalized. HA in biopsy specimens was stained histochemically with biotinylated IFA binding protein. Staining intensity of HA in liver tissue was also determined by computer-assisted imaging analyzer. HA staining was clearly observed in sinusoidal wall and fibrous regions around the portal tract and central vein in liver diseases. HA staining intensities in patien ts actively drinking with ALD increased markedly, compared with those in pa tients with non-ALD, and these intensities decreased with abstinence. These results clearly suggest that hepatic IIA contents in ALD may be increased by alcohol in addition to hepatic fibrosis, and, therefore, increased HA de position in the liver may be reversible by abstinence of alcohol.