Human lymphocyte responsiveness is not enhanced by relief of biliary obstruction: an in-vitro study

Imparied cell-mediated immunity has been described in obstructive jaundice and has been attributed to depressant serum factors or to depressed intrinsic T-cell function. The authors studied lymphocyte responsiveness to phytohemagglutinin stimulation, the in-vitro correlate of T-cell function, in 11 patients with biliary obstruction. Peripheral-blood mononuclear cells and serum were obtained before (mean serum bilirubin level 302 mumol/L) and after (mean serum bilirubin level 23 mumol/L) treatment of the biliary obstruction. Simultaneous cell culture of all samples disclosed no evidence of a serum depressant factor in patients with obstructive jaundice, and crossover incubation studies failed to suggest that there is a depression of intrinsic T-cell responsiveness that can be reversed by biliary drainage.