[Cell immunity and hepatocyte apoptosis in chronic cholestatic hepatitis]

The aim of the study was to evaluate activity and accumulation of natural T-killers (NK-cells, CD16+) and lymphocytes with apoptosis marker (CD95+) in peripheral blood and hepatic tissue of patients with chronic viral hepatitis, in connection with presence or absence of cholestasis. The subjects were 14 patients suffering from chronic hepatitis (CH) without cholestasis, and 16--with CH and cholestasis, aged 18 to 56 years. The study revealed significant elevation of the number of NK-cells in hepatic tissue of CH patients with cholestasis, not only vs. controls, but also vs. CH patients without cholestasis. Accumulation of natural T-killers in hepatic tissues was accompanied by reduction of their absolute number in peripheral blood and increase of the number of apoptotic bodies in the liver. There was a positive correlation between parameters of apoptosis of hepatocytes, on the one part, and the number of regenerating hepatocytes and serum indicators of cholestasis, on the other.