Characteristic changes of peripheral lymphocyte subset in cirrhotic patients with hepatitis C virus - correlation with cirrhosis severity

Peripheral blood taken from seven patients with mild cirrhosis and seven wi th severe cirrhosis caused by hepatitis C virus was stained with two colors by the combination of antibodies to CD8 and CD11b, CD57 and CD16, CD5 and CD20, CD4 and CD45RA, gamma delta TCR (T cell receptor) and CD3, and otherw ise with three colors by anti-CD3, anti-interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and an ti-interleukin 4 (IL-4), followed by flow cytometoric analysis to detect su rface antigen and/or intracellular cytokines. The proportion of CD4 + CD45R A suppressor-inducer T cells significantly increased and that of CD8 + CD11 b - cytotoxic T cells significantly decreased in the severe cirrhotic patie nts. In the T helper (Th) subset analysis, T cells producing IFN-gamma (Th1 type cytokine) showed a high proportion in cirrhotic patients compared to healthy controls, while no correlation was detected to the severity of the cirrhosis. T cells producing IL-4 (Th2 type cytokine) showed a low proporti on in both cirrhotic patients and healthy controls. In conclusion, not the alteration of Th1 and Th2 proportions but the increased proportion of suppr essor-inducer T cells may be one of the causes of the impaired immune respo nse in severe cirrhotic patients. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. Al l rights reserved.