Investigation of immune reactivity in alcoholism with hepatic disease of various degrees

The clinical and experimental investigations of alcoholic liver disease, have proved that hepatocytes injury is associated with immunologic abnormalities, which can be one of the sources of these injuries. The acetaldehyde, the main ethanol metabolite modify liver cytosolic proteins and form new antigens. Thus acetaldehyde induces the synthesis of auto-antibodies. Some hypotheses maintain the autoimmune pathogenesis of these diseases. Research was carried out on some patient groups admitted in the alcohol addiction department of the Neurology and Psychiatry hospital "Professor Gh. Marinescu". We have investigated the alcohol depending individuals with various degrees of hepatic injuries. Four groups have been studied: the control group, the alcohol depending patients without liver disease, the patients with alcoholic hepatitis, the group with alcoholic cirrhosis. In order to investigate the immunologic response the research has been carried on, along the following lines: serum immunoglobulins level, serum C3 level, serum protein C reactive level by using IDR, serum circulating immune complexes by Hakova method, auto-antibodies (antinuclear AAN, antimitochondria AM and antismoothmuscle ASM) by using indirect immunofluorescence, T lymphocytes by E rosetting and lymphocytes by direct immuno-fluorescence. Clinical and experimental study of the alcoholic liver has shown that destruction of hepatocytes is accompanied by several immunological events.