CLINICAL CYTOLOGY OF THE LIVER: ITO STELLATE CELLS (HEPATIC STELLATE CELLS)

Introduction. The role of Ito stellate cells (Hepatic Stellate Cells, HSC) has been identified as one of the leading in the development of liver fibrosis, but the use of intravital visualization of HSC structures in clinical practice is minimal. The aim of the work is to present the structural and functional characteristic of HSC based on the findings of cytological identification of intravital liver biopsy samples. Materials and methods. Classical methods of light and electron microscopy of biopsy samples within the original technique of using ultrathin sections, fixation and staining were applied. Results. The structural characteristics of the HSC of the liver biopsy samples from patients with chronic hepatitis C are presented on photo illustrations of light and electron microscopy. HSC are depicted at different stages (rest, activation) and during the process of transformation into myofibroblasts. Conclusions. The use of original methods of clinical and morphological identification and evaluation of the functional status of HSC allows to improve the quality of diagnosis and prognosis of liver fibrosis.