Immunohistochemical Analysis of the Stem Cell Marker LGR5 in Pediatric Liver Disease.

ABSTRACT: Aims In regenerating liver, hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) are recruited in response to injury; however, few highly specific human HPC markers exist for the hepatocyte lineage. Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptor 5 (LGR5), a Wnt-associated stem cell marker, has been extensively studied in intestinal stem cells, but little is known about its expression in human liver. We hypothesized that LGR5+ HPCs are induced in the regenerative response to pediatric liver injury. Methods and results Immunohistochemistry was used to characterize LGR5 expression in pediatric liver explants (n = 36). We found cytoplasmic LGR5 expression in all cases; although, much less was observed in acute hepatic necrosis compared to chronic liver diseases. In the latter cases, >50% of hepatocytes

SUBMITTER: Khan Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5040613 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan-Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature