Intrahepatic lymphoid follicle (ILF) formation is one of the most characteristic and commonly
observed histological features in patients with chronic hepatitis C. However, little is known
regarding whether follicles in the liver belong to functional lymphoid tissues, where B cells
are activated, differentiated, and proliferated, or if the lymphocytes are merely infiltrated after
recruitment from the secondary lymphoid organs. To ascertain this possibility, we examined
the expression of markers for B-cell activation, differentiation, and proliferation in ILFs in …