Background and aims: The aim of this study is to determine whether activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) may represent a prognostic marker of progressive liver fibrosis in chronic viral hepatitis C (VHC) before antiviral therapy. The possible correlation between HSCs immunohistochemical features, histopathological aspects and clinical data before therapy were also studied.
Methods: This retrospective pilot study was conducted on 27 liver biopsies from VHC patients before antiviral therapy. HSCs's immunohistochemical analysis used the antibodies alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vinculin. We correlated immunopositive HSCs with HCV load, liver stiffness (LS), fibrosis stage and necro-inflammatory degree before treatment. Also, we assessed the association between liver fibrosis after therapy, the sustained virological response at 12 weeks after therapy (SVR 12) and the type of therapy.
Results: HSCs were increased in VHC patients compared to controls, mainly in the intermediate and periportal lobular regions. α-SMA and vinculin HSCs correlated positively with fibrosis stage (p=0.044), (p=0.028). Furthermore, α-SMA and vinculin HSCs were associated with LS (p=0.027), (p=0.002) and viral load (p=0.021), (p=0.006), but not with necro-inflammation degree. GFAP HSCs inversely correlated with fibrosis stage (r= -0.475), LS (r= -0.422) and HCV load (r= -0.517), but positively with necro-inflammation degree (p=0.038). Liver fibrosis post therapy correlated positively with SVR12 (p<0.001) and the type of therapy (p=0.006) and SVR12 correlated positively with treatment's type (p=0.002).
Conclusions: Activated HSCs may represent a marker of increased liver fibrosis in VHC. Different immunohistochemical markers can detect various HSCs subpopulations involved in the evolution of VHC and liver fibrosis.