Microinterferometric characterization of isolated human hepatocytes.

Hepatocytes isolated from liver tissue taken by biopsy from 18 patients with hepatic or extrahepatic diseases displayed a weight class-organization similar to that of other animal species. In most cases the cell classes had a period of 108 pg varying in number from 4 to 14; cell weight range was 96--432 pg as a minimum (4 classes) and 108--1536 pg as a maximum (14 classes). In 5 cases cell classes showed a period of 120 pg resulting 7--9 in number; cell weight range was 216--960 pg (7 classes) or 216--1200 pg (9 classes). No correlation was found between sex, age, liver histopathology, disease of the patients and the various parameters measured.