[Functional activity of natural killer cells in patients with chronic liver diseases]

Functional activity of natural killers (NK) was examined in 67 patients with chronic virus and alcoholic liver diseases, chronic nonspecific reactive and drug hepatitides. The activity of NK was found to be reduced in the groups of patients with chronic virus nonspecific reactive and drug hepatitides. Suppression of NK was most pronounced in patients with virus chronic active hepatitis. No statistically significant alterations in NK were discovered in the groups of patients with liver cirrhoses depending on the etiological factor and activity of the pathological process. The use of immunosuppressive therapy for active liver diseases led to further inhibition of natural cytotoxicity.