The relationship between liver pathological inflammation degree and pyroptosis in chronic hepatitis B patients
Yao Wang, Xun Li, Qian Chen, Fangzhou Jiao, Chunxia Shi, Maohua Pei, Lu-Wen Wang, Zuojiong Gong
Abstract
Abstract The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between liver pathological inflammation degree and pyroptosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). One hundred and twenty CHB patients' liver tissue samples, including A0–A3 inflammatory grades, were selected. Six tissue sections were selected for each indicator in each inflammation grade. The results of immunohistochemical analysis on the pyroptosis‐related molecules (NLRP3, GSDMD, caspase1, interleukin [IL]‐1β, and IL‐18) were determined. The correlation between the pyroptosis‐related molecules and liver inflammatory activities was analyzed. The expression of NLRP3, GSDMD, caspase1, IL‐18, and IL‐1β was respectively significantly positively correlated with the grade of inflammatory activity ( r s = 0.690, p < 0.01; r s = 0.681, p < 0.01; r s = 0.540, p < 0.01; r s = 0.725, p < 0.01; r s = 0.663, p < 0.01) and linear relationship ( χ 2 = 56.763, p < 0.01; χ 2 = 55.350, p < 0.01; χ 2 = 34.776, p < 0.01; χ 2 = 62.523, p < 0.01; χ 2 = 52.521, p < 0.01) in liver tissue. The high expression of NLRP3, GSDMD, caspase1, IL‐1β, and IL‐18 may be involved in the process of liver tissue inflammation and damage, which is positively correlated with liver tissue inflammation in patients with CHB.