Among 1,098 liver biopsy specimens obtained from patients with various liver diseases characterized by liver iqjury, 58 epithelial cells whose cytoplamns stained poeitively by the periodic acid-Schiff stain (~@J&xI with diastase) were recognized in the interlobular bile ducts of 37 specimens from 36 patients. Light microscopic study revealed that the cytoplaeme of these cells were clear or stained weakly BoBipophilic on hematoxylin and eosin staining and that the cell limits were distinct. From their reaction with periodic acid-schitr stain and from electron microecopic observation it wae clear that these cells contained an abundance of glycogen and were located among the normal bile duct cells surrounded by beeememt membrane. On electron microscopy, these cells had microvilli of equal sizes on their luminal surfaces and ma^^ irmgularly sized microvilluslike cell membrane projections on their basal surfaces. They rested on basement membrane with b d spaces. These cells varied in eiZe from 26.0 to 462.2 pm2 (mean = 212.2 pus). In contrast, the eizes of normal bile duct cells and hepatocytee ranged from 20.0 to 69.3 pm2 (mean = 34.2 pm") and from 113.0 to 880.3 Fm" (mean = 447.0 prn'), reapectively. Immunohidochemical study with antisemm to cytokeratin 19, albumin and a,-antitrypein on serially cut frozen sections showed that some of these cells expreesed markera of bile duct cells and hepato-cyte& Some cells expressed only the markers of hepatocytee. Computer graphic three-dimensional reconstruction clearly demonstrated that these cells were located epansely (but sometimes in groups) among normal interlobular bile duct cells, without any connection to the surrounding parenchymal hepatocytes. This pathognomonic significance of these cells is unknown, bat they may represent the transformation or metapMa of bile duct cells to hepatocytes. (HEPA-TOLOGY 199% la 1199-1205.)
The biliary channel is the part of the bile excretion system that begins at the bile canaliculi (1-4). The smallest biliary channels are the bile canaliculi, which are formed by adjacent hepatocytes. The transition from bile d d to bile ductules occurs at the edge of the