Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Human Pancreatic β-Cell Dysfunction
- Matilde Masini, MD1,
- Daniela Campani, MD2,
- Ugo Boggi, MD3,
- Michele Menicagli, MD2,
- Nicola Funel, MD1,
- Maria Pollera, MD1,
- Roberto Lupi, PHD1,
- Silvia Del Guerra, PHD1,
- Marco Bugliani, PHD1,
- Scilla Torri, PHD1,
- Stefano Del Prato, MD1,
- Franco Mosca, MD3,
- Franco Filipponi, MD4 and
- Piero Marchetti, MD, PHD1
- 1Metabolic Unit, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Pisa and Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy
- 2Section of Transplantation Pathology, Division of Surgical, Molecular and Ultrastructural Pathology, Department of Oncology, University of Pisa and Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy
- 3Referral Center for the Treatment of Pancreas Diseases, Department of Oncology, University of Pisa and Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy
- 4Liver Transplant Unit, University of Pisa and Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Piero Marchetti, MD, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Metabolic Unit, Ospedale Cisanello, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy. E-mail: marchant{at}immr.med.unipi.it
Article Figures & Tables
Figures
- Figure 1—
A and B show the results obtained by an immunoperoxidase technique for anti–HCV-E2 in pancreatic islets (original magnification ×400). In A, the endocrine cells from a control pancreas are completely devoid of the viral antigen. In B, the endocrine cells from an HCV-positive pancreas show a brown, finely granular staining, indicating the presence of the HCV proteins. C and D show the results obtained by electron microscopy (original magnification ×46,000). In C, a control β-cell is shown, with the characteristic insulin granules (G) and normal mitochondria (M). In D, a β-cell from an HCV-positive pancreas is represented, showing virus-like particles (VL) close to dilated, hyperplastic Golgi apparatus (GA) and round-shaped mitochondria with dispersed matrix and fragmented cristae.
Tables
- Table 1—
Insulin secretion and apoptosis data of HCV-negative and HCV-positive pancreatic islets
Insulin release (% insulin content) Apoptosis 3.3 mmol/l glucose 16.7 mmol/l glucose ELISA* EM† HCV− 1.7 ± 0.3 3.8 ± 0.5‡ 0.9 ± 0.1 2.0 ± 0.2 HCV+ 1.6 ± 0.3 2.9 ± 0.4‡§ 1.0 ± 0.2 1.8 ± 0.2 -
Data are means ± SD.
- *
↵* Data are expressed as arbitrary units of optical density;
- †
↵† data are expressed as percentage of apoptotic β-cell over total number of counted β-cells;
- ‡
↵‡ P < 0.01 vs. 3.3 mmol/l and
- §
↵§ P < 0.05 vs. 16.7 mmol/l glucose, HCV− by the two-tailed Student’s t test. ELISA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; EM, electron microscopy.
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