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Vet Pathol 44:803-813 (2007)
© 2007 American College of Veterinary Pathologists

Tenascin-C in Chronic Canine Hepatitis: Immunohistochemical Localization and Correlation with Necro-Inflammatory Activity, Fibrotic Stage, and Expression of Alpha-Smooth Muscle Actin, Cytokeratin 7, and CD3+ Cells

G. A. Mekonnen, J. IJzer and H. Nederbragt

National Animal Health Research Center, Sebeta, Ethiopia (GAM), and Utrecht University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Pathobiology, Division of Pathology, Utrecht, the Netherlands (GAM, JIJ, HN)

During fibrosis, the extracellular matrix (ECM) is continuously remodeled and increases in volume due to the production of various proteins. We studied the distribution of tenascin-C (TN-C) and the correlation of TN-C with the necro-inflammatory activity and expression of alpha–smooth muscle actin ({alpha}-SMA), cytokeratin 7 (CK7), and CD3+ T-lymphocytes in canine chronic hepatitis. This was analyzed using immunohistochemistry and semiquantitative scoring. We used 3 groups (n = 19) of dogs: group 1 (n = 5) with neonatal hepatitis/lobular dissecting hepatitis (NH/LDH), group 2 (n = 8) with chronic hepatitis/cirrhosis (CH/CIRR), and group 3 (n = 6) consisting of healthy animals. In normal livers, TN-C was localized in Disse's space and around bile ducts and blood vessels. In CH/CIRR livers, TN-C was localized at the periphery of the regenerating nodules and was conspicuous in the bridging fibrous bands. In NH/LDH, TN-C was diffusely distributed along the reticular fibers that dissected between single cells or groups of hepatocytes. {alpha}-SMA in the normal hepatic parenchyma showed an irregular distribution along the perisinusoidal linings. In other groups, {alpha}-SMA was increased in fibrotic septa and perisinusoidal linings. In normal livers, CK7 was positive in bile ducts. In other groups, CK7-expressing cells were conspicuous in the portal-parenchymal interface, the periphery of the regenerative nodules, and the degenerated parenchyma. The pattern of CD3+ lymphocytes was inversely proportional to that of TN-C. These results also showed that TN-C is strongly correlated with increased fibrotic stage, inflammatory activity, and expression of CK7 and {alpha}-SMA. TN-C, CK7, and CD3 expression did not differ between diagnostic groups.

Key words: Dog; fibrosis; hepatitis; immunohistochemistry; tenascin-C.

Request reprints from Dr. H. Nederbragt, Department of Pathobiology, Section of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, PO Box 80158, 3508 TD, Utrecht (the Netherlands). E-mail: h.nederbragt{at}vet.uu.nl






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