Published online Jul 28, 2006. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v12.i28.4546
Revised: March 8, 2006
Accepted: March 27, 2006
Published online: July 28, 2006
AIM: To analyze the percentages of hepatocytes with increased nuclear DNA content, i.e., tetraploid (4n) and octoploid (8n) nuclei, and then compared mononuclear and binuclear hepatocyte populations.
METHODS: The percentages of mononuclear diploid (2n), 4n, and 8n hepatocytes and those of binuclear 2 × 2n, 2 × 4n, and 2 × 8n hepatocytes were determined with a method that can simultaneously measure hepatocyte nuclear DNA content and binuclearity in 62 patients with chronic hepatitis B or C. The percentage of 4n and 8n hepatocytes in the mononuclear hepatocyte population was compared with the percentage of 2 × 4n and 2 × 8n hepatocytes in the binuclear hepatocyte population.
RESULTS: The percentages of 4n and 8n hepatocytes in mononuclear hepatocytes and 2 × 4n and 2 × 8n hepatocytes in binuclear hepatocytes were similar, regardless of the activity or fibrosis grade of chronic hepatitis and regardless of the infecting virus.
CONCLUSION: The distribution of nuclear DNA content within mononuclear and binuclear hepatocyte populations was conserved during the course of chronic viral hepatitis.