Figure 7
Co-expression of autophagy and mesenchymal markers in the ductular reaction of human cirrhotic livers. A representative series of immunofluorescence results from cirrhotic liver tissues showing expression of LC3B, TGF‐β, FSP-1 and CK19. (A) Immunostaining for LC3B and TGF‐β. Merged images show co-expression of LC3B (green) and TGF‐β (red) in ductule structures. (B) Panels I and II are consecutive sections from the same cirrhotic tissues. The images in panel I show co-expression of the mesenchymal marker FSP-1 (green) and CK19 (red), and those in panel II show co-expression of LC3B (green) and CK19 (red). The insets in panel I show ductular cells with low expression of CK19 (red) and high expression of FSP-1 (green) that appear to be acquiring a fibroblast morphology. Arrows indicate LC3B-positive ductular cells potentially undergoing the mesenchymal transition during cirrhosis. (C) Consecutive sections are from non‐cirrhotic tissue with a bile duct showing regular morphology. The bile duct expressed LC3B (green, panel I) and CK19 (red, panel III) but not TGF‐β (panel II) or FSP-1 (panel IV).
