Hepatocyte and nuclear areas and fatty infiltration of the liver in chronic alcoholic liver disease.

In 117 patients affected by chronic alcoholic liver disease, we have histomorphometrically determined hepatocyte and nuclear areas, total amount of fat and total amount of fibrosis, comparing them with the following clinical and biochemical parameters: ascites, encephalopathy, jaundice, spiders, collateral circulation, splenomegaly, prothrombin activity, serum albumin, gammaglobulin, bilirubin, ASAT, ALAT, GGT, leukocyte and platelet count, and daily consumption of ethanol. Both hepatocyte and nuclear areas closely correlated with most of the parameters indicative of hepatic function derangement, whereas fat amount correlated with them inversely, but positively with the daily consumption of ethanol. The degree of fibrosis was greater in patients with a worse hepatic function, and there was a direct relationship between the degree of fibrosis and hepatocyte and nuclear areas, and an inverse one between the degree of fibrosis and the total amount of fat.