Cytophotometric studies of the DNA, nucleic acid and protein content of liver cell nuclei from patients with virus hepatitis.

Abstract

Cytophotometric studies of the DNA, nucleic acid and protein content of liver cell nuclei from patients with virus hepatitis. Acta path. microbiol. scand. Sect. A, 84: 1-8, 1976. With a view to investigating some of the causes why the size of liver cell nuclei increase in virus hepatitis, the nuclear size and the nuclear contents of DNA, nucleic acid and protein were measured by cytophotometry. The liver cell nuclei could be grouped in classes according to their contents of DNA, nucleic acid, and protein and, as in control livers, diploid nuclei were always most frequent. Nuclei with intermediate DNA values, probably S-phase nuclei, were more frequent in hepatitis livers than in controls. The average size of nuclei from patients with hepatitis was significantly larger than that from controls, whereas the DNA content was the same. A significant, positive correlation between nucleic acid content, protein content and nuclear area was found. The high correlation between nuclear protein content and nuclear size simultaneously with the increased nuclear size during hepatitis is assumed to reflect an increased nuclear function.