title: Immunoregulatory T cells in alcoholic liver disease: phenotypical dissection of circulating Leu3+/T4+ inducer T-lymphocytes.
abstract: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) patients had normal absolute lymphocyte counts, increased percentage of Leu3+/T4+ cells (p less than 0.001) and raised T4/T8 ratio (p less than 0.01). Double-colour immunofluorescence analysis using isotype-specific goat anti-mouse immunoglobulins, fluorescein or rhodamine-conjugated, demonstrated that the rise in inducer (Leu3+/T4+) T-cells was almost entirely represented by an expanded population of T4+TQ1- and 5/9+ true helper lymphocytes. T4+ cells also expressed IL2 receptors, as detected by the anti-Tac monoclonal antibody (range 1-18%). On the other hand, the percentage of Leu3+/T4+ cells which bind the K562 cell-line or co-express NK markers on their surface, such as Leu7 (HNK-1), was within the normal range in the majority of ALD patients. Functional studies on patients' cultured total or B-enriched lymphocytes in a pokeweed-mitogen-driven B-cell differentiation assay showed an enhanced plasma cell generation even in unstimulated cultures. Co-culture experiments with normal enriched-B lymphocytes demonstrated that both irradiated and non-irradiated patient T cells led to an increased plasma cell generation. These findings indicate that helper T cells and B cells are all simultaneously activated in vivo, and that the suppressor T lymphocyte function is normal in ALD.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005235:Fatty Liver, Alcoholic / Q000276:immunology*; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008211:Lymphocyte Cooperation; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens