Aim: Oxyphilic granular hepatocyte (OGH) results from hepatocellular changes associated with chronic hepatitis. The histopathological significance of OGH has not been clarified.
Methods: The subjects consisted of two groups of patients with hepatitis C: one group of patients who had undergone liver biopsy 3.8 times on average, and were followed for 8 years on average, and one group of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who had undergone hepatectomy. The following items were examined: frequency of OGH, relationship between OGH and the degree of fibrosis and inflammation; amount of mitochondria in resected tissues; activity of mitochondrial enzymes; relationship between the development of HCC and OGH; and relationship between the duration of infection and OGH in the post-transfusion patients.
Results: The incidence of OGH was 35.3% in liver biopsy patients and 46.9% in resected patients. A higher stage of fibrosis was associated with a higher frequency of OGH. Not only OGH but also hepatocyte mitochondria in the peripheral zone increased with the progression of fibrosis. Hepatocytes with or without increased mitochondria were randomly distributed. The mitochondrial enzyme activity was increased in hepatocytes with increased mitochondria. In the post-transfusion patients, a longer duration of infection and a higher stage of fibrosis were associated with a higher frequency of OGH. A high percentage of patients with OGH developed HCC.
Conclusion: Mitochondrial changes are important histological findings related to the progression of liver lesions and the possible development of HCC.