TY - JOUR
T1 - Human binucleate hepatocytes
T2 - Are they a defence during chronic liver diseases?
AU - Grizzi, Fabio
AU - Chiriva-Internati, Maurizio
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - Binucleate cells are commonly found in various human organs including liver, salivary glands and endometrium, but their functional advantage remains unknown. The increased occurrence of binucleate hepatocytes during the necro-inflammation stage of progressive chronic hepatitis and its end-stage of cirrhosis, but their absence in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), has led us to hypothesise that they may be an index of the severity of hepatic illness rather than the result of errors occurring during the course of the cell cycle. This hypothesis is supported by the immunohistochemical analysis of retinol-binding protein expression, and the different life cycles of hepatitis B virus in mononucleate and binucleate hepatocytes. If founded, this hypothesis would add to our understanding of the relationship between binucleate hepatocytes and the evolution of chronic liver disease, and promises the ideation of new criteria for identifying potential HCC patients.
AB - Binucleate cells are commonly found in various human organs including liver, salivary glands and endometrium, but their functional advantage remains unknown. The increased occurrence of binucleate hepatocytes during the necro-inflammation stage of progressive chronic hepatitis and its end-stage of cirrhosis, but their absence in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), has led us to hypothesise that they may be an index of the severity of hepatic illness rather than the result of errors occurring during the course of the cell cycle. This hypothesis is supported by the immunohistochemical analysis of retinol-binding protein expression, and the different life cycles of hepatitis B virus in mononucleate and binucleate hepatocytes. If founded, this hypothesis would add to our understanding of the relationship between binucleate hepatocytes and the evolution of chronic liver disease, and promises the ideation of new criteria for identifying potential HCC patients.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.mehy.2006.12.029
DO - 10.1016/j.mehy.2006.12.029
M3 - Article
C2 - 17307305
AN - SCOPUS:34249305204
VL - 69
SP - 258
EP - 261
JO - Medical Hypotheses
JF - Medical Hypotheses
SN - 0306-9877
IS - 2
ER -