Expression And Significance Of Autophagy-Related Proteins LC3-??Beclin-1 And P62 In The Pathogenesis Of Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Objective:To analyze the clinical and hepatic histopathological characteristics of patients with primary biliary cholangitis(PBC)at different stages,and to observe the expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3-II,Beclin-1 and P62 in the liver tissues of PBC patients and explore their correlations with biochemical variables,to investigate the role of autophagy in the progression of PBC.Methods:This retrospective study enrolled 22 patients with PBC at the 900~thh Hospital of the People's Liberation Army Joint Service Support Force.Clinical data were collected and analyzed.The expression of LC3-II,Beclin-1 and P62 were detected by Immune Histochemical Staining(the normal liver tissue of patients with hepatic hemangioma used as control)and Western-Blotting.The expression of autophagy-related proteins in the liver tissues of patients with PBC at different stages and their correlations with biochemical variables was analyzed by semi-quantitative analysis.Results:1.There was no significant difference in ALT(80.78±47.87 vs 140.860±83.98,t=1.931,P=0.068)and AST(73.56±35.33 vs 92.46±49.73,t=1.042,P=0.339)between the early-stage group and the advanced-stage group of PBC patients.The difference in GGT(185.50±53.73 vs 180±105.59,t=0.160,P=0.875),ALP(99.78±43.23 vs 165.23±76.30,t=2.318,P=0.031),albumin(32.14±3.65 vs27.36±5.66,t=2.225,P=0.038)?TBIL(30.44±17.30 vs179.74±92.37,t=4.757,P<0.001)?DBIL(12.30(43.1,1.8)vs 103.80(217.5,14.2),Z=3.306,P<0.001)?TBA(12.33±3.86 vs 22.83±7.49,t=3.841,P=0.001)were statistically significant between the early-stage group and the late advanced-stage group.2.Western-Blotting showed an increased expression of LC3-II,Beclin1 and P62in PBC patients compared with hepatic hemangioma patients.Immune Histochemical Staining showed the low expression of LC3-II in the liver tissues of hepatic hemangioma patients and high expression in PBC patients.The difference between the controlled group,the early-stage group and advanced-stage group was statically different.3.The expression of LC3-II,Beclin-1 and P62 in the liver tissues of early-and advanced-stage PBC patients was compared.The results showed that the expression of LC3-II,Belin-1 and P62 was significantly higher in biliary epithelial cells and hepatocytes in the advanced-stage group than the early-stage group(P<0.001).4.Pearson correlation analysis showed that the expression of LC3-II was positively correlated with the levels of ALP,TBIL and TBA.(P<0.005).Conclusions:1.Autophagy-related proteins are highly expressed in the liver tissues of patients with PBC in early-and late-stages.2.The autophagy-related proteins LC3-II,Beclin-1 and P62 in the liver tissues of patients with PBC gradually increased with the progression of the PBC.3.The expression of LC3-II was correlated with the liver function of PBC patients(P<0.05).