Participation of peribiliary glands in biliary tract pathophysiologies

Figure 4 Distribution of SOX9, epithelial cell adhesion molecule, CD44s and chemokine receptor type 4 expression in normal and hepatolithiatic livers. A: SOX9 was frequently expressed in the lining epithelia and peribiliary glands of normal livers (0, 10 and 6 cases; 1+, 5 and 8 cases; 2+, 11 and 7 cases; 3+, 6 and 11 cases, respectively) and hepatolithiatic livers (0, 10 cases and 1 case; 1+, 7 and 5 cases; 2+, 5 and 10 cases; 3+, 0 and 6 cases, respectively). Its expression was rather higher in the peribiliary glands than in the lining epithelia of hepatolithiatic livers; B: Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) was frequently expressed in the lining epithelia and peribiliary glands of normal livers (0, 0 and 0 case; 1+, 0 case and 5 cases; 2+, 5 and 14 cases; 3+, 27 and 13 cases, respectively) and hepatolithiatic livers (0, 0 and 0 case; 1+, 0 case and 2 cases; 2+, 1 case and 12 cases; 3+, 21 and 8 cases, respectively). Its expression was slightly higher in the lining epithelia of hepatolithiatic livers; C: CD44s expression varied in the lining epithelia and peribiliary glands of normal livers (0, 22 and 19 cases; 1+, 3 and 5 cases; 2+, 6 and 8 cases; 3+, 1 and 0 case, respectively) and hepatolithiatic livers (0, 3 and 10 case; 1+, 7 and 4 cases; 2+, 11 and 5 cases; 3+, 1 case and 3 cases, respectively). The expression of CD44s in the lining epithelia and peribiliary glands was higher in hepatolithiatic livers than in normal livers and a significant difference was observed in the lining epithelia (P < 0.01); D: The expression of chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) was rare in the lining epithelia and peribiliary glands of normal livers (0, 30 and 30 cases; 1+, 0 and 1 case; 2+, 2 cases and 1 case; 3+, 0 and 0 cases, respectively), but was not infrequent in hepatolithiatic livers (0, 11 and 12 cases; 1+, 7 and 7 cases; 2+, 4 and 3 cases; 3+, 0 and 0 case, respectively). A significant difference in its expression in the lining epithelia was observed between normal and hepatolithiatic livers (P < 0.01).