Contrasting relations between suppressor-cell function and suppressor-cell number in chronic liver disease

75 patients with various chronic liver diseases were investigated by simultaneous assay of suppressor-cell function and enumeration of suppressor T cells by monoclonal antibody. In chronic active hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis, substantial defects in suppressor-cell function were associated with negligible alterations in the proportions of suppressor cells. Defective suppressor-cell function was also evident in most patients with HBsAg-positive liver disease and in some with alcoholic liver disease. While the expected relations between suppressor-cell function and the proportions of helper or suppressor cells and the helper/suppressor ratio were apparent in alcoholic liver disease, the results in the HBsAg-positive, HBeAg-positive patients were in direct contrast. This apparent anomaly may reflect functional heterogeneity of the lymphocyte population detected by the monoclonal antibody OKT8, which identifies suppressor and cytotoxic cells. This study demonstrates that in the absence of simultaneous measurement of function, enumeration of T-cell subsets with monoclonal antibodies is an inadequate assessment of immunoregulatory balance.