Morphological studies in alcoholic liver injury. Relationship between cholestasis and interlobular bile duct changes

Abstract

Histological features of 112 liver biopsy specimens from 106 patients with alcoholic liver injury were studied.
Alcoholic hyalins were found in 6 specimens (5.4%). Spherical giant mitochondrias were seen in 9 specimens (8.0%). Fatty metamorphosis, polymorphonuclear cell infiltration, pericellular fibrosis were observed in many specimens. Zonal or submassive necrosis were also observed in 20 specimens (17.9%). Cholestasis was seen in 32 specimens (28.6%).
Histological changes of interlobular bile ducts were investigated in 103 specimens containing interlobular ducts. The changes observed in interlobular ducts revealed the inflammatory cell infiltration into the epithelium and the epithelial cell vacuolation in most specimens. Neutrophils in the lumen, swollen or flattened epithelial cells, karyopyknosis and eosinophilic degeneration were observed in considerable specimens. Among 31 specimens with cholestasis, the changes of interlobular bile ducts were detected in 19 specimens (61.3%), whereas the specimens without cholestasis showed the changes in only 4 of 72 (5.6%).
These results suggest that cholestasis in alcoholic liver injury seems to related to the changes of interlobular bile ducts.