[Immunity and malnutrition in alcoholic liver diseases]

Assessment of immunity was performed in 150 patients with alcoholic liver disease (15 steatosis, 30 hepatitis and 105 cirrhosis: 34 in grade A, 34 in grade B and 37 in grade C, according to Child-Pugh classification). This assessment was based on the total lymphocyte count and a delayed hypersensitivity skin multiple test. Likewise, nutritional status of patients was studied using anthropometric and biochemical parameters (triceps skinfold thickness, arm muscle circumference and serum albumin). The association between alcoholic liver disease, malnutrition and immunity was analyzed. The results show that lymphopenia and disorders in cell-mediate immunity were more common in those patients with cirrhosis, increasing the number of anergic patients while the degree of hepatocellular insufficiency worsens (8.8% in grade A, 11.8% in grade B and 32.4% in grade C). Although there where significantly more alterations of delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity in cirrhotics with malnutrition (hypoergy: 55.2% and anergy: 37.9%) than in those well nourished (hypoergy: 23.7% and anergy: 10.5%, p < 0.01), lymphopenia didn't show differences between these groups. We think that immunity mus'nt be considered a parameter in nutritional assessment.