Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine

Title abbreviation: Adv Clin Exp Med
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ISSN 1899–5276 (print)
ISSN 2451-2680 (online)
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Advances in Clinical and Experimental Medicine

2009, vol. 18, nr 6, November-December, p. 575–584

Publication type: original article

Language: English

Comparative Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Mitochondria in Chronic Hepatitis B and C Patients

Analiza porównawcza zmian jakościowych i ilościowych mitochondriów u chorych na przewlekłe wirusowe zapalenie wątroby typu B i C

Patryk Smoliński1,, Marcin Nowak2,, Barbara Dolińska−Krajewska3,

1 Internal Diseases Department, Lower Silesian Center for Lung Diseases, Wrocław, Poland

2 Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland

3 Electron Microscopy Department, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland

Abstract

Background. Studies imply that mitochondria have a role in viral pathologies, but hardly any objective proof has been presented based on structural analysis.
Objectives. In this study, changes in hepatocyte mitochondria in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and C (CHC) patients were analyzed and compared with each other and with reference data.
Material and Methods. Overall, 1200 hepatocyte mitochondria of CHB and CHC patients were analyzed. Mitochondria were assessed at ×15,000 and ×5000 magnification in a scanning electron microscope. All parameters were analyzed with MultiScane Base v 8.08 and statistically analyzed with Statistica PL v. 5.01 using the Student’s t, χ2, and Pearson’s linear correlation tests.
Results. The average numbers of mitochondria seen in both groups did not differ (p = 0.76). A difference in the number of shape−changed organelles was especially noted in CHC rather than CHB (p = 0.00026). A significant difference was found in the occurrence of abnormally large mitochondria (p = 0.01). The average number of mitochondrial cristae varied in both groups, more in CHC than CHB (p = 0.0004). Special differences were noted in the length of the cristae (p = 0.0075), but no clear change was found in the intermembrane space diameter (p = 0.04). The average mitochondrion area significantly differed in both groups and larger values were noted in the CHB group (p = 0.0001).
Conclusion. The mitochondrial structural changes are not homogenous in the HBV and HCV groups. Abnormalities were more prevalent in CHC patients and especially concerned shape changes, differences in mitochondrial length and width, and internal structural changes rather than the area or overall number of mitochondria. Assuming that the observed mitochondrial changes were related exclusively to viral pathogens, the changes in their structure revealed by electron microscopic analysis strongly imply that severe changes in function are induced more by HCV than HBV.

Streszczenie

Wprowadzenie. W poprzednich pracach na temat wirusowych zapaleń wątroby wielokrotnie sugerowano kluczową rolę mitochondriów w ich patogenezie, ale bez obiektywnie przeprowadzonych analiz porównawczych.
Cel pracy. Wpracy posłużono się obrazowymi metodami badawczymi mitochondriów, aby porównać dwie reprezentatywne grupy chorych na wirusowe zapalenie wątroby typu B (CHB) i C (CHC) oraz ocenić potencjalne różnice w występowaniu nieprawidłowości mogących mieć kluczowe znaczenie w ich patogenezie.
Materiał i metody. Zbadano 1200 mitochondriów hepatocytów chorych na wirusowe zapalenie wątroby typu B i C pod kątem różnic jakościowych i ilościowych w powiększeniu 15 000× i 5000× mikroskopu elektronowego i analizowano za pomocą programu MultiScane Base v 8.08 oraz statystycznie testem t−Studenta, χ2 i korelacją Pearsona.
Wyniki. Średnia liczba mitochondriów widziana w preparacie nie różniła się w obu grupach badanych (p = 0,76). Jakościowe różnice dotyczące kształtu obserwowano zwłaszcza w grupie CHC (p = 0,00026). Duże mitochondria (tzw. olbrzymie) były właściwe dla grupy CHC (p = 0,01). Średnia liczba grzebieni mitochondriów była zróżnicowana w obu grupach, większą ich liczbę obserwowano jednak w grupie CHC niż CHB (p = 0,0004). Zmiany dotyczyły zwłaszcza ich wielkości – dłuższe grzebienie dominowały w grupie CHC (p = 0,0075). Nie wykazano istotnych różnic szerokości przestrzeni międzybłonowej (p = 0,04). Mimo że w grupie CHC częściej obserwowano olbrzymie mitochondria, średnia powierzchni mitochondrialnej była mniejsza niż w grupie CHB (p = 0,0001).
Wnioski. Różnice zmian struktury nie są właściwe dla żadnej z obserwowanych grup. Jednak stwierdzane zmiany, które odnoszono do wartości referencyjnych, częściej różniły się od wartości prawidłowych w grupie CHC. Dotyczyło to zwłaszcza kształtu mitochondriów, różnic ich poszczególnych pomiarów, jak również struktur wewnętrznych. Zakładając, że za stwierdzane zmiany odpowiada czynnik wirusowy, wykazane różnice zdecydowanie potwierdzają tezę, że patologia mitochondriów bardziej dotyczy wirusowego zapalenia wątroby typu C niż B.

Key words

mitochondria, viral hepatitis, HCV, HBV, analysis

Słowa kluczowe

mitochondria, wirusowe zapalenie wątroby, HCV, HBV, analiza

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