[Cellular immunoreactivity in chronic alcoholics with and without liver disease]

To evaluate the influence of chronic alcohol consumption on the cellular immune system in man, we investigated the immune response to seven intradermally applied common antigens and in vitro stimulation of peripheral lymphocytes by Phytohemagglutinin A and concanavalin A in chronic alcoholics with (n = 15) and without (n = 15) liver disease. The results suggest that the diminished cellular immune response in chronic alcoholics is not primarily a direct sequel to alcohol consumption; it is more likely that the impaired immune response is linked to severity of the liver damage itself and to malnutrition.