The determination of neutrophil membrane fluidity in patients with hepatitis B: a fluorescence polarization study

Although numerous studies on abnormality of neutrophil function in patients with viral hepatitis have previously been reported, little is known about mechanisms of neutrophil dysfunction. To investigate mechanisms of neutrophil dysfunction in these patients, neutrophil membrane fluidity was measured by fluorescence polarization technique in 76 hepatitis patients. The results showed that membrane fluidity of neutrophils from patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH) or subfulminant hepatic failure (SFHF) was much lower than that in normal controls (p < 0.01), but such a difference could not be found in patients with acute hepatitis (p > 0.05). Furthermore, recombinant interleukin-2 could significantly increase membrane fluidity, while lipopolysaccharide decreased membrane fluidity of neutrophils (p < 0.01, p < 0.001). The present study indicates that there is abnormal membrane fluidity of neutrophils in patients with CAH and SFHF. Neutrophil dysfunction in hepatitis patients may be partly due to altered membrane fluidity.