Clonality Of Nodules Of Altered Hepatocytes In Livers With Chronic Hepatitis B And Cirrhosis

HCC is one of the most frequent malignant neoplasms in the world, being among the most prevalent three male malignancies in China. Persistent infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV), particularly with liver cirrhosis, is believed to be one of the main pathogenic factors of HCC, but its mechanism is not fully understood. Foci of altered hepatocytes (FAH) previously observed in several animal models of hepatocarcinogenesis and demonstrated to be precursors of hepatocellular adenoma (HA) and HCC, were identified recently in most of the human liver specimens with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis. These lesions were also associated to HCC development. Some of FAH somehow acquired growth advantage, with their sizes expanding to 1 mm in diameter. Such lesions, when occupying all, or most of, the spaces of cirrhotic nodules and showing marked compression to the surrounding tissue, were called nodules of altered hepatocytes (NAH). However, the nature of NAH remains unknown.To elucidate the clonality status of the NAH in cirrhotic liver, we used microdissection technology and clonality assays at the phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) and androgen receptor (AR) loci. The following tests were performed: 1) different nodules were microdissected, and their clonality status was determined, with HCC and HA tissues, as well as the adjacent fibrous...