Jee-Fu Huang1, Yen-Hwang Chuang, Chia-Yen Dai, Ming-Lung Yu, Chung-Feng Huang, Pi-Jung Hsiao, Ming-Yen Hsieh, Ching-I Huang, Ming-Lun Yeh, Jeng-Fu Yang, Zu-Yau Lin, Shinn-Chern Chen, Wan-Long Chuang. 1. Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Hsiao-Kang Hospital Graduate Institute of Medicine Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine Faculty of Internal Medicine, College of MedicineKaohsiung Medical University, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital Hepatobiliary Division, Department of Internal Medicine Department of Neurology Endocrine Division, Department of Internal Medicine Department of Preventive Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Abstract
AIM: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) proteins can activate the PI3K/Akt pathway which is involved in multiple cellular functions such as inflammatory cell activation and liver fibrosis. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the correlation between Akt expression and liver fibrosis staging in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. METHODS: Paraffin-embedded liver sections from 133 consecutive treatment-naïve CHC patients were recruited. The expression features of Akt were analyzed using immunohistochemical methods and the results were compared with histological, virological and biochemical profiles. RESULTS: The 73 patients with high Akt expression carried higher histological activity index scores (6.52 ± 2.5 vs 5.62 ± 2.4, P = 0.04) and advanced fibrosis (72.7% vs 26.3%, P < 0.01) than other 60 patients with low Akt expression. The high Akt expression showed a significant incremental trend dependent on fibrosis stages, from 33.3% of F0 to 85.7% of F4 (P = 0.005). Akt expression was not correlated with degrees of steatosis and virological features of HCV infection, such as viral load and genotypes. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed advanced fibrosis was the most significant factor associated with high Akt expression (odds ratio = 3.16). CONCLUSION: Hepatic Akt expression correlated with advanced liver fibrosis in CHC patients.
AIM: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) proteins can activate the PI3K/Akt pathway which is involved in multiple cellular functions such as inflammatory cell activation and liver fibrosis. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the correlation between Akt expression and liver fibrosis staging in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. METHODS:Paraffin-embedded liver sections from 133 consecutive treatment-naïve CHCpatients were recruited. The expression features of Akt were analyzed using immunohistochemical methods and the results were compared with histological, virological and biochemical profiles. RESULTS: The 73 patients with high Akt expression carried higher histological activity index scores (6.52 ± 2.5 vs 5.62 ± 2.4, P = 0.04) and advanced fibrosis (72.7% vs 26.3%, P < 0.01) than other 60 patients with low Akt expression. The high Akt expression showed a significant incremental trend dependent on fibrosis stages, from 33.3% of F0 to 85.7% of F4 (P = 0.005). Akt expression was not correlated with degrees of steatosis and virological features of HCV infection, such as viral load and genotypes. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed advanced fibrosis was the most significant factor associated with high Akt expression (odds ratio = 3.16). CONCLUSION: Hepatic Akt expression correlated with advanced liver fibrosis in CHCpatients.
Authors: Katarzyna Wojciechowska-Durczyńska; Adam Durczyński; Stanisław Sporny; Janusz Strzelczyk; Andrzej Lewiński Journal: Thyroid Res Date: 2012-03-07