Morphological features of non-parenchymal liver cells of full-term stillbirths from HIV-mono-infected mothers.

Abstract

Fifty-one liver tissue biopsies offull-term stillbirths from HIV-mono-infected mothers were investigated. All morphometric indices ofnon-parenchymal liver cells were calculated using theAvtandilov microscopic morphometric grid, which consisted of100 equidistant points. It was inserted into themicroscope ocular tube with atotal × 200 microscope magnification. Thenumber ofpoints that were found in thecorresponding types ofnon-parenchymal liver cells determined by immunohistochemistry was calculated. In each case, 10 random microscopic areas were selected and then all data were obtained, calculated and presented as percentages. Morphometric indices ofnon-parenchymal liver cells: Kupffer cells - 28.3±2.9% [control - 21.2 ±2.5], hepatic stellate cells - 14.1 ±1.4% [control - 9.8 ±1.2], LAL (liver-associated lymphocytes): CD4 - 29.2 ±2.2% [control - 43.3 ±4.9], CD8 - 25.3 ±1.9% [control - 23.1 ±1.7], dendritic cells - 3.9 ±0.3% [control - 2.6 ±0.3]. It was established that at thetime ofthebirth ofchildren from HIV-mono-infected mothers theKupffer cells showed signs oftheir proliferation and liver-associated CD4 lymphocytes showed signs oftheir reduction; hepatic stellate cells showed signs oftheir proliferation and hyperactivation; dendritic liver cells showed signs oftheir proliferation.