Hyperbilirubinemia, jaundice and anergy.
A prospective study of delayed hypersensitivity response was carried out in jaundiced patients. One hundred and seventy-seven subjects were studied. Fifty-nine were controls and one hundred and eighteen were patients with hepato-pancreato-biliary pathology and biliary tract obstruction. A multitest technique was used to evaluate the delayed hypersensitivity response, classifying the subjects into one of three groups: immunocompetent, relatively anergic and anergic. In the control group 76.3 per cent of the subjects were immunocompetent as opposed to 16.1 per cent of the patients (p less than 0.0001). Twenty-four per cent of the control subjects and eighty-four per cent of the patients presented anergy or relative anergy (p less than 0.0001). Among the patients no difference could be found in the index of anergy between malignant and benign pathology. We have found, moreover, that patients with a mean bilirubin level of 12 mg/dl showed a change in the delayed hypersensitivity response, with development of anergy or relative anergy.
Cainzos
M
M
University of Santiago de Compostela, School of Medicine, Hospital General of Galicia, Spain.
Alcalde
J A
JA
Potel
J
J
Puente
J L
JL
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006932:Hyperbilirubinemia / Q000276:immunology*; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology*; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007121:Immunocompetence / Q000276:immunology; D007565:Jaundice / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D011446:Prospective Studies