[Comparative in vitro studies of cell-mediated immunity in chronic liver diseases]

Reactions of cell-mediated immunity are investigated in 32 healthy controls and 134 patients with chronic liver diseases (E-rosette-forming cells, lymphocyte transformation test, leucocyte migration inhibition test using the T-cell-mitogens Phytohaemagglutinin and Concanavalin A). The number of E-rosette-forming cells is significantly decreased in chronic active hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis. The 3H-thymidine uptake in the lymphocyte transformation test by use of PHA and Con A is markedly reduced especially in active and progressed liver diseases. PHA caused a significant higher inhibition of leucocyte migration in patients with alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis than in healthy controls. A dependency between the results of the two tests is not detectable (Chi 2-test). We found in individual cases of groups with liver diseases serum inhibition factors by MIT, but not correlations with other immunological or clinical-chemical parameters. The pathogenetical value of the used methods in cases with chronic liver diseases is questionable.