Fukushima J. Med. Sci.,
Vol. 52, No. 2, 2006

[Original Article]

EXPRESSION OF HUMAN GLUCOCORTICOID RECEPTOR BETA OF
PERIPHERAL BLOOD MONONUCLEAR CELLS IN PATIENTS
WITH SEVERE AUTOIMMUNE HEPATITIS

TSUYOSHI RAI, KYOKO MONOE, YUKIKO KANNO, HIRONOBU SAITO, ATSUSHI TAKAHASHI, ATSUSHI IRISAWA and HIROMASA OHIRA

Department of Internal Medicine II, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine,
Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan

(Received June 2, 2006, accepted August 7, 2006)

Abstract: Abstract : We evaluated the expression of human glucocorticoid receptor beta (hGRβ) in patients with severe autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). The subjects were 27 patients with AIH, including 6 with severe type (prothrombin time [PT]<40%) and 21 with non-severe type (PT≥40%). Total RNA extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was reversed using reverse transcriptase. The resultant complementary DNA was amplified by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using specific primers for hGR α and β. The six patients with severe AIH were female; three presented fulminant hepatic failure with hepatic encephalopathy. In all patients with AIH, hGR α was detected. The incidence of hGR β expression in patients with non-severe type was 42.9% (9/21); it was 100% (6/6) in those with severe type. The positive ratio was significantly higher in severe-type patients. These results suggest that hGR β expression in PBMCs is a novel predictor of AIH severity.

Key words: glucocorticoid receptor, autoimmune hepatitis, fulminant hepatic failure

雷　　毅，物江恭子，菅野有紀子，斉藤広信，高橋敦史，入澤篤志，大平弘正

Correspondence to: Hiromasa Ohira, Department of Internal Medicine II, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima City 960-1295, Japan.
E-mail: h-ohira@fmu.ac.jp