Abstract
The peripheral lymphocytes in liver cirrhosis were evaluated for the percent of T-cells judged by the rosette formation with sheep RBC, the responsiveness to stimulation of phytohemagglutinin (PHA), pokeweed mitogen (PWM) or concanavalin-A (Con-A) in 72 hours cultures, the percent of immunoglobulin (Ig) synthesizing cells and IgG secretion into the medium after in vitro 8 days cultures with or without PWM.
Ig synthesizing cells were enumerated by counting the cytoplasmic Ig positive cells staining with fluorescein-conjugated anti human Ig antiserum, and the secreted IgG into the medium by radioimmunoassay technique.
The percent of T-cells and the responsiveness of lymphocytes to PHA, PWM or Con-A were about the same in both healthy and liver cirrhosis.
Liver cirrhosis lymphocytes contained markedly increased numbers of Ig synthesizing cells after 8 days cultures without PWM, the lymphocytes contained a mean of 0.36±0.10%, while healthy lymphocytes contained a mean of 0.11±0.02%. However, liver cirrhosis lymphocytes were deficient in their capacity to respond to PWM with differentiation into Ig synthesizing cells and IgG secretions, the lymphocytes contained a mean of 1.75±0.56%, and secreted IgG 392+88 ng/1×106 lymphocytes, while healthy lymphocytes contained a mean of 3.92±0.84% and secreted IgG 1699±492 ng/1×106 lymphocytes.
