Original Research
Copyright ©The Author(s) 1997. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 15, 1997; 3(1): 22-23
Published online Mar 15, 1997. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v3.i1.22
Cellular immune function and liver damage in post-hepatitic cirrhosis
Zhi-Jie Feng, Ran-Ming Niu, Xi-Ling Ren, Xi-Xian Yao
Zhi-Jie Feng, Ran-Ming Niu, Xi-Ling Ren, Xi-Xian Yao, Department of Internal Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China
Zhi-Jie Feng, MD, Physician in Chief, with 21 papers and 3 books published.
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by The Foundation of Hebei Province Science Commission (No. 96216114), published in Chin J Microbiol Immunol, 1995; 15 (5):362 (in Chinese).
Correspondence to: Dr. Zhi-Jie Feng, Department of Internal Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China
Telephone: +86-311-7046975
Received: May 10, 1996
Revised: September 29, 1996
Accepted: January 31, 1997
Published online: March 15, 1997
Abstract

AIM: To study cellular immune function in patients with post-hepatitic cirrhosis (PHC) and its relationship with different types of liver damage.

METHODS: Fifty-one patients with PHC, including 20 cases of Child-Pugh class A, 18 of class B, 13 of class C and 22 normal subjects as controls were studied. After peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque gradient centrifugation, lymphocyte transformation (LT) test, IL-2 activity and NK cell activity were measured by the 3H-TdR incorporation technique.

RESULTS: Changes of LT stimulation index (SI), IL-2 activity (SI) and NK cell activity (%) in patients with PHC were significantly decreased compared with in the healthy controls (18.1 ± 13.0 vs 34.9 ± 21.7, P < 0.01; 8.1 ± 6.0 vs 13.6 ± 5.8, P < 0.01; 40.3 ± 21.7 vs 61.3 ± 20.5, P < 0.01; respectively). The defects of cellular immune function were closely related to Child-Pugh classification. The values in class C were much lower than those in B and A (P < 0.01) and those in B were lower than those in A (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Defective cellular immune functions in patients with PHC are connected with the degree of liver damage.

Keywords: Hepatitis; Liver cirrhosis; Immunology; Immunity, cellular; Killer cells, natural; Lymphocyte transformation; Interleukin