Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Clinical Pathology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Pathology
. 1976 Aug;29(8):698–703. doi: 10.1136/jcp.29.8.698

Effect of methotrexate therapy in psoriatics on the Ito cells in liver biopsies, assessed by point-counting.

D Hopwood, A Nyfors
PMCID: PMC476149  PMID: 956451

Abstract

To evaluate the relationship, both quantitative and qualitative, between the Ito cells and methotrexate (MTX) therapy Ito cells were studied by light microscopy in 1 mum toluidine blue stained sections and by electron microscopy in 24 pairs of Menghini needle biopsies before and after MTX therapy of 24 consenting patients with severe psoriasis. Light microscopy showed a statistically significant increase in pathological findings (P less than 0-05) and in the number of Ito cells and their size (P less than 0-0001) after MTX therapy. It was not possible to show a statistically significant correlation between the increase in the number of Ito cells and the cumulative dose of MTX. Ultrastructural analysis of Ito cells showed no marked difference from pre to post-MTX specimens. The fibrosis and cirrhosis seen after MTX therapy in some liver biopsies from psoriatics and the post-MTX increase in the number of Ito cells direct attention to the possible role of Ito cells as fibroblast precursors.

Full text

PDF
698

Images in this article

701Image
on p.701
701Image
on p.701

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bronfenmajer S., Schaffner F., Popper H. Fat-storing cells (lipocytes) in human liver. Arch Pathol. 1966 Nov;82(5):447–453. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Coe R. O., Bull F. E. Cirrhosis associated with methotrexate treatment of psoriasis. JAMA. 1968 Nov 11;206(7):1515–1520. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dahl M. G., Gregory M. M., Scheuer P. J. Liver damage due to methotrexate in patients with psoriasis. Br Med J. 1971 Mar 20;1(5750):625–630. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.5750.625. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Fahimi H. D. The fine structural localization of endogenous and exogenous peroxidase activity in Kupffer cells of rat liver. J Cell Biol. 1970 Oct;47(1):247–262. doi: 10.1083/jcb.47.1.247. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hori S. H., Kitamura T. The vitamin A content and retinol esterifying activity of a Kupffer cell fraction of rat liver. J Histochem Cytochem. 1972 Oct;20(10):811–816. doi: 10.1177/20.10.811. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Horvath E., Kovacs K., Ross R. C. Liver ultrastructure in methotrexate treatment of psoriasis. Arch Dermatol. 1973 Sep;108(3):427–428. doi: 10.1001/archderm.1973.01620240073033. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. ITO T., NEMOTO M. Morphologische Studien über die Fettspeicherungszellen der Leber bei verschiedenen Wirbeltieren. I. Uber die Fettspeicherungszellen der Huftiere. Okajimas Folia Anat Jpn. 1956 Sep;28(1-6):521–542. doi: 10.2535/ofaj1936.28.1-6_521. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. McGee J. O., Patrick R. S. The role of perisinusoidal cells in hepatic fibrogenesis. An electron microscopic study of acute carbon tetrachloride liver injury. Lab Invest. 1972 Apr;26(4):429–440. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Muller S. A., Farrow G. M., Martalock D. L. Cirrhosis caused by methotrexate in the treatment of psoriasis. Arch Dermatol. 1969 Nov;100(5):523–530. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Nyfors A., Brodthagen H. Methotrexate for psoriasis in weekly oral doses without any adjunctive therapy. Dermatologica. 1970;140(6):345–355. doi: 10.1159/000252574. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Nyfors A., Poulsen H. Liver biopsies from psoriatics related to methotrexate therapy. 1. Findings in 123 consecutive non-methotrexate treated patients. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand A. 1976 May;84(3):253–261. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1976.tb00097.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Nyfors A., Poulsen H. Liver biopsies from psoriatics related to methotrexate therapy. 2. Findings before and after methotexate therapy in 88 patients. A blind study. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand A. 1976 May;84(3):262–270. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Psoriasis-liver-methotrexate interactions. Arch Dermatol. 1973 Jul;108(1):36–42. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Roenigk H. H., Jr, Fowler-Bergfeld W., Curtis G. H. Methotrexate for psoriasis in weekly oral doses. Arch Dermatol. 1969 Jan;99(1):86–93. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Wake K. "Sternzellen" in the liver: perisinusoidal cells with special reference to storage of vitamin A. Am J Anat. 1971 Dec;132(4):429–462. doi: 10.1002/aja.1001320404. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Pathology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES