SARS

Three patients who fulfilled the World Health Organization case definition of probable SARS and developed marked elevation of alanine aminotransferase were studied. Percutaneous liver biopsies were performed. Liver specimens were examined by light and electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using enhanced real-time PCR was applied to look for evidence of SARS-associated coronavirus infection. Marked accumulation of cells in mitosis was observed in two patients, and apoptosis was observed in all three patients. Other common pathologic features included ballooning of hepatocytes and mild to moderate lobular lymphocytic infiltration. No eosinophilic infiltration, granuloma, cholestasis, fibrosis, or fibrin deposition was noted. Immunohistochemical studies revealed 0.5% to 11.4% of nuclei were positive for proliferative antigen Ki-67. RT-PCR was positive.