Relationship between PK2 and number of Kupffer cells during the progression of liver fibrosis in patients with HBV

Abstract

Background/aim: This study aimed to investigate the potential regulatory role of prokineticin 2 (PK2) in modulation of the number andfunction of Kupffer cells (KCs) during the progression of liver fibrosis in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV).Materials and methods: We obtained liver tissue sections from 200 patients with HBV undergoing surgical resection in our hospitalbetween January 2013 and July 2016. Of these 200 tissue sections, 150 were fibrosis tissues and 50 were hepatocellular carcinomatissues. Immunohistochemical evaluations were performed to assess the expression levels of CD68 and PK2 in the sections. The clinicalparameters of these 200 patients were also analyzed.Results: As a potential cytokine, PK2 was commonly expressed in KCs. In addition, a close correlation between PK2 and the number ofKCs during the progression of liver fibrosis in patients with HBV was found in this study.Conclusion: PK2 is expressed in KCs and participates in the progression of liver fibrosis after HBV infection. As a potential cytokine,PK2 modulates the number of KCs during fibrosis. Thus, PK2 most likely adjusts the number of M1 cells to modulate the role of KCs inthe progression of liver fibrosis after HBV infection.