fig1

Figure 1. Immunohistochemical markers for the detection of hepatocellular ballooning (A-D). (A) Ballooned hepatocytes (indicated by arrow heads) with enlarged lightly stained cytoplasm containing lipid droplets and Mallory-Denk bodies (MDBs) are present among hepatocytes with fatty change. (B) Consecutive section of the HE stained section in (A). Immunohistochemical analysis reveals loss of cytoplasmic and positive MDB-staining signals with K8/18 antibodies in the ballooned hepatocytes (marked by arrow heads). In addition, in this deeper section another small group of ballooned hepatocytes with MDBs not clearly detectable in the respective H&E stain is indicated by the characteristic K8/18 staining pattern (ballooned hepatocytes are indicated by white arrow heads). (C) Ballooned hepatocytes adjacent to a central vein with loss of cytoplasmic K8/18 staining and K8/18-positive MDBs are strongly marked in a consecutive section (D) with antibodies against sonic hedgehog whereas the cytoplasm of normal sized hepatocytes shows only weak reactivity.