RESUMO
The distribution and number of dendritic cells (DC) were studied by ABC immunohistochemical method in specimens of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, n=24), cirrhosis of liver (CL, n=15), chronic active hepatitis B (CAH, n=9), chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH, n=14), acute hepatitis B(AH, n=9) and normal liver (NL, n=11). The results showed that 1) in HCC, DC was mainly distributed in the intercellular space of the tumor cells and the clustered lymphoid cell area, the tumor cells were surrounded by the dendrites of DC; 2) the number of DC cells/mm2 in HCC (12.8) was significantly higher than that in CL (8.4); which was again significantly higher than that in NL (6.1); 3) the number of DC in NL was higher than those in CAH (3.9), CPH (3.3) and AH (2.9); and 4, the number of DC in HBsAgpositive HCC was higher than that in HBsAgnegative HCC. The above results suggested that 1) DC might be involved in the host immune reaction against tumor by means of antigen presentation; 2) DC might play some protective role in the evolution of CAH→CL→HCC.