Effect of the number of portal area on modified histological activity index of viral hepatitis and histological findings.

AIM: Viral hepatitis is one of the most important causes of chronic hepatitis. Liver biopsy is used to verify clinical diagnosis and to evaluate necroinflammation and fibrosis. Biopsy is the guide for therapy and can be performed also after treatment to assess the effect of therapy on liver. This paper aimed to explore histopathological characteristics of biopsy samples, which had been referred to our department with the clinical diagnosis of chronic viral hepatitis, in reference to Ishak Modified Hepatic Activity Index (IMHAI), as well as to compare inflammatory scores and stages in the groups created according to the number of portal area (PA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 107 patients that underwent liver biopsy in 2011 being diagnosed with chronic viral hepatitis. Age, gender and type of viral hepatitis were retrospectively reviewed and histological findings such as IMHAI inflammatory score and stage, hepatosteatosis and ground glass hepatocytes were re-assessed by two pathologists. RESULTS: Of the present cases, 97 had chronic hepatitis B, 5 had chronic hepatitis C, and 5 had chronic hepatitis BDThe group with PA number of 2-4 consisted of 8 cases and the group with PA number of 11 and over consisted of 37 cases. CONCLUSION: Statistical analysis performed by comparing IMHAI inflammatory score and stage with PA revealed that score and stage were significantly higher in PA ≥ 11 groups as compared to PA 2-4 group.

Evaluation of antiproliferative and antimetastatic effects of heparin and erythropoietin on B16f10 melanoma cell line.

A number of chemotherapeutic agents and treatment strategies have been developed or designed to treat cancer patients. However, chemotherapeutic regimens frequently cause side-effects, one of which is anemia, a severe clinical problem for cancer patients. Erythropoietin is commonly used to treat anemia and reduce blood transfusions in cancer patients. Another agent which has potential use in cancer therapy is heparin, a glycosaminoglycan with a negative charge, known to increase the clearance of tumor cells from the blood in mice and also has anti-metastatic effects. In this current study, we investigated the effects of rEpo and heparin either as single agents or in combination on B16F10 melanoma cells. Contrary to our expectations based on the previous in vitro and in vivo studies, we have not found a significant growth-promoting effect of rEpo on B16F10 cells. We have also not observed a significant cytotoxic effect of heparin on B16F10 melanoma cell as assayed by MTT test (p > 0.05). However, heparin did significantly prevent the migration/proliferation of B16F10 cell in the wound assay as compared to the control cells after 24 h of incubation (p < 0.001). In addition, this effect of heparin was not prevented when rEpo was present in the medium in the wound assay (p < 0.01 as compared to the control). These results suggest that heparin may have a therapeutic potential as an anti-metastatic drug for cancer.