Morphologial observation of Mallory bodies

Abstract

Mallory body was very rarely encountered in alcoholic livers in Japan. Reason for this has been assumed to be a difference of race, nutrition, drinking manner and custom from those of western peoples. Recently 4 cases of alcoholic liver with Mallory bodies were found; two alcoholic hepatitis and two cirrhosis. All patients were under quite normal nutrition. According to Mallory's classification predominant type of Mallory bodies in three livers was a fine delicate form and in one liver exclusively a highly hyalinized coarse form. Coarse form of Mallory bodies was histochemically demonstrated to contain pyloninophilic, acidfast, PAS-negative substances associated with hydrophilic phospholipid and basic proteins. Clear demonstration of such substances except basic proteins was not obtained in a majority of fine form. This indicated that there were some differences in chemical composition between in coarse form and fine one. Statistical observation revealed that damage of hepatocyte with coarse form of Mallory bodies was more pronounced than that with fine form and extent of parenchymal destrution was correlated with a number of Mallory bodies in parenchyma.
A liver from non-alcoholic patient of PBC and of diethylaminoethoxy hexoestrol-induced cirrhosis also revealed a presence of many fine and coarse form of Mallory bodies in hepatocytes. There were virtually no morphological and histochemical differences between in Mallory bodies of nonalcoholic livers and those of alcoholic liver, suggesting that Mallory bodies were not alcohol specific.