Reduction in peripheral blood K cells and activated T cells in primary biliary cirrhosis.
Lymphocyte subpopulations were measured in the peripheral blood of 13 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), 13 with chronic active hepatitis (CAH), and 16 age- and sex-matched normal subjects. A significant, relative and absolute, reduction in activated T cells and K cells, compared with that in normal subjects, was found in PBC but not in CAH. The reduction in K cells observed in PBC was found to be accompanied by a parallel decrease in lymphocyte-mediated antibody-dependent cytotoxicity.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity; D001402:B-Lymphocytes; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes