SERUM FACTORS TO SUPPORT LYMPHOCYTE BLASTOGENESIS IN PATIENTS WITH LIVER DISEASES

Abstract

Plasma or serum from patients with several liver diseases was found to inhibit lymphocyte blastogenesis stimulated by lectins. Most of these reports were designed to evaluate the responsiveness to lectins of homologous lymphocytes from normal subjects cultured in the plasma or serum suspected of containing inhibitory factors. The degree of variation in the preparation of standard plasma or serum, and choice of lectin as well as the amount needed to support lymphocyte blastogenesis was not specified yet. The author showed that lymphocytes from normal subjects, when stimulated at the two different concentration of concanavalin A (Con A), give the same response when cultured in their own serum compared with when cultured in heat inactivated AB type serum. This indicated a better rate assay method for the evaluation of serum factor to support lymphocyte blastogenesis.
Using this method the serum lymphocyte blastogenesis index (SLBI) were determined in 64 cases (96 samples) with liver diseases. In the acute phase of acute hepatitis SLBI were revealed higher than the normal range. However, in the recovery phase SLBI were demonstrated within normal range or lower than the normal range. SLBI of patients with chronic active hepatitis and liver cirrhosis, who showed unstable serum GOT levels, were higher than that of patients who showed stable serum GOT levels. Although there is no correlation between appearance and disappearance of HBs antigen in serum, there is a significant correlation between SLBI and serum GOT levels.
The serum lymphocyte blastogenesis factors may help to promote the chronicity of liver diseases.