2-D DISTANCE DISTRIBUTION ANALYSIS - AN APPLICATION TO HBCAG-POSITIVEHEPATOCYTES AND ITS RELATION TO SEPTUM FORMATION IN CIRRHOSIS

The morphogenesis of cirrhotic septa in chronic hepatitis B was studie d assuming that they arise at the sites of hepatocellular necrosis inv oked by host immune reaction against HBcAg-expressing hepatocytes. Sec tions from three livers with chronic hepatitis B, all in cirrhotic sta ge, were immunostained with HBcAg and subjected to morphometry to anal yze the distribution of HBcAg(+) hepatocytes and its relation with sep ta. HBcAg(+) cells were not distributed randomly over the nodules but forming focal areas. The septum formation along these foci was shown b y 2-D distance distribution analysis, a technique we devised. Upon a s heet of color microphotograph of immunostained section, hundreds of te st points each 400 mu m apart were arranged by overlaying a tessellate d grid. From each of the points hitting the nodules, the distance to t he nearest nodulo-septal border D(min) was measured. Measurement was p erformed on a total of 2,585 test points. It was shown that the mean D (min) in the HBcAg(+) areas was significantly smaller than in HBcAg(-) areas. Thus, the cirrhotic septa are considered to arise at the place s of HBcAg(+) foci, connecting them by postnecrotic collapsing. (C) 19 97 Tohoku University Medical Press.