Evaluation ofT andBlymphocytes inliver infiltrates ofpatients withchronic active hepatitis

SUMMARY Theproportions ofTandBlymphocytes intheliver infiltrates of23patients withchronic active hepatitis havebeendetermined. Theresults werecompared withthevalues obtained from peripheral bloodandwiththepresenceofHB virus markers andalpha-fetoprotein inliver tissue. A groupofpatients withchronic liver disease otherthanchronic active hepatitis were studied as controls. Inchronic active hepatitis thepercentage ofhepatic T cells was 49+ 8SD (control patients 61+ 8)(P< 001), whereas thepercentage ofBcells was 40+ 10(control patients 18+ 8) (P< 0.01). No correlation was observed between hepatic T andB cells andthepresenceofHB virus. The numbers ofT cells inliver tissue weresignificantly higher, thenumbersofBcells lower, inpatients whosebiopsies werepositive foralpha-fetoprotei n thaninthosewhosebiopsies were negative. Inperipheral blood, onlythepatients withchronic active hepatitis andestablished cirrhosis presented lower absolute values ofTcells, whereas surface immunoglobulin-positive lymphocytes were within thenormal range. Therehavebeenconflicting reports on theproportions ofT andB lymphocytes inthebloodof patients withchronic active hepatitis (CAH). Sposito etal.(1974) andGalili etal.(1975) found normal values, whereas DeHoratius etal.(1974) and Thomasetal.(1976) showed asignificant reduction intheabsolute andrelative numbers ofT cells. Thesediscrepancies might berelated either tothe variable effects ofliver lymphoid infiltrates (Bernstein etal., 1974) ortothepresence ofconditions suchascirrhosis andsplenomegaly whichhavenot beenadequately considered bytheinvestigators. To gainmoredirect information onT andB lymphocytes inCAH,weexamined their proportions intheliver infiltrates of23patients andrelated themtothoseinbloodandtothepresence of hepatitis B virus(HBV)markersand alphafetoprotein (AFP), since they arethought tomodify T andB lymphocyte proportions (Guptaand Siegal, 1975; Strelkauskas etal., 1975) inliver tissue. Therelationship tocirrhosis andsplenomegaly hasalsobeenassessed. A groupofpatients with chronic liver disease otherthanCAH,inwhose biopsyspecimens lymphocytic infiltrates were present, werestudied ascontrols.