Abstract
The cytotoxic effect of peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with various liver diseases against T-24 cells and Chang cells was studied using a 51chromium release assay. The mean %cytotoxicity of 32 control subjects against T-24 cells was 7.3±4.2% (mean±SD). The mean %cytotoxicity of 25 patients with chronic active hepatitis, 20 patients with liver cirrhosis and 15 patients with hepatoma against T-24 cells was 5.8±3.5%, 7.0±4.1% and 6.7±3.8% retrospectively. Each value was not so different from that of the control subjects. But the cytotoxicity of lymphocytes from 4 patients with the end stage of hepatoma was significantly decreased. The cytotoxicity of lymphocytes on the acute stage of acute hepatitis was significantly decreased, but improved in the convalescent stage. The results mentioned above were almost as same as against Chang cells. The cytotoxicity of lymphocytes was enhanced by addition of interferon. Therefore, it was presumed that the cytotoxicity might represent the natural killer activity of lymphocytes. A significant reduction of the cytotoxicity of normal lymphocytes was noted when sera from chronic active hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and hepatoma patients was added.
