Pathology of the liver

At the close of the 20th century, a selection of articles published in 1999 with relevance to liver pathology reflects the wealth of technological and intellectual progress made during the span of the century. Immunohistochem ical staining for hepatitis B virus antigens focused attention on a correla tion between cytoplasmic expression of core antigen in individuals with pre core mutants and higher activity of hepatitis. Infection of ducklings with a presurface mutant strain of duck hepatitis B virus produced cytopathic li ver cell damage. Fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis, originally described as a n unusual form of recurrent hepatitis B after liver transplantation, has no w been described in hepatitis C virus-positive patients with renal transpla nts. It may be related to the emergence or selection of hepatitis C virus q uasispecies. In biliary tract disease, researchers investigated the canal o f Hering as a possible source of hepatic stem cells, sporadic mutations in the JAGGED1 gene (involved in cell differentiation) in Alagille syndrome, a nd several models of nonsuppurative destructive cholangitis. Further work w as accomplished on nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, including a proposal of a grading and staging system as well as its detection in workers exposed to v olatile petrochemicals. Among hepatic neoplasms and proliferative disorders , epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, angiomyolipoma and Langerhans' cell his tiocytosis received coverage in articles describing the diagnostic patholog y in collected series of patients. Curr Opin Gastroenterol 2000, 16:200-207 (C) 2000 Lippincoii Williams & Wilkins, Inc.