PMID- 3315905
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19871222
LR  - 20190828
IS  - 0379-0738 (Print)
IS  - 0379-0738 (Linking)
VI  - 35
IP  - 1
DP  - 1987 Sep
TI  - Liver histopathology in autopsied drug-addicts.
PG  - 11-26
AB  - Liver specimens of 150 randomly selected autopsied drug addicts from the province 
      of Milan (Italy) were studied using light microscopy, polarized light and 
      immunohistochemical methods. Simple histological changes and the main diagnoses 
      are described. The main histological diagnoses in order of frequency were: 
      non-specific reactive hepatitis (NSRH) (52%), chronic aggressive hepatitis (CAH) 
      (24%), acute hepatitis (AH) (12%), normal liver (6%), steatosis only (3.3%) and 
      cirrhosis (2%). In 24 cases (16%) one or more viral antigens (HBsAg, HBcAg and 
      Delta Ag) were detected in hepatocytes by immunohistochemical methods. Three 
      liver specimens revealed epithelioid cell granulomas, but in no case was 
      birefringent material identified in the liver. AH and CAH were more frequent in 
      the group of livers with viral antigens. Our histological and immunohistochemical 
      data confirm the current opinion that, in most cases, liver pathology in drug 
      addicts has a viral aetiology, while no significant pathogenic role has been 
      identified for drugs, alcohol or contaminants. Recurrent infections by one or 
      several viruses possibly explain the relatively peculiar histological features of 
      hepatitis in drug addicts.
FAU - Paties, C
AU  - Paties C
AD  - Department of Pathology, Piacenza Hospital, Italy.
FAU - Peveri, V
AU  - Peveri V
FAU - Falzi, G
AU  - Falzi G
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - Ireland
TA  - Forensic Sci Int
JT  - Forensic science international
JID - 7902034
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/*pathology
MH  - Female
MH  - Hepatitis B/pathology
MH  - Hepatitis, Chronic/pathology
MH  - Hepatitis, Viral, Human/*pathology
MH  - Humans
MH  - Immunoenzyme Techniques
MH  - Liver/pathology
MH  - Liver Cirrhosis/pathology
MH  - Male
MH  - Substance-Related Disorders/*pathology
EDAT- 1987/09/01 00:00
MHDA- 1987/09/01 00:01
CRDT- 1987/09/01 00:00
PHST- 1987/09/01 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1987/09/01 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1987/09/01 00:00 [entrez]
AID - 0379-0738(87)90019-3 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/0379-0738(87)90019-3 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Forensic Sci Int. 1987 Sep;35(1):11-26. doi: 10.1016/0379-0738(87)90019-3.