title: Ascites' neutrophil function is significantly impaired in patients with decompensated cirrhosis but can be restored by autologous plasma incubation.
abstract: Systemic immune cell dysfunction is a typical feature of liver diseases and increases the risk of bacterial infection, especially spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. We evaluated functional properties of neutrophil granulocytes in blood and ascites of patients both with and without decompensated cirrhosis. We collected blood and ascites samples from 63 patients with cirrhosis and eight without cirrhosis. Phagocytosis activity (PA) and oxidative burst activity (OBA) were evaluated after ex vivo stimulation with E. coli, while fluorescence signals were measured by flow cytometry. Ascites' neutrophil function tests were repeated after incubation with autologous plasma. Ascites' neutrophils showed an impaired PA and OBA (median blood PA 98.1% (86.8-99.8) vs. ascites' PA 50.5% (0.4-97.3), p < 0.0001; median blood OBA 98.7% (27.5-100) vs. ascites' OBA 27.5% (0.3-96.7), p < 0.0001). Patients with non-cirrhotic ascites showed higher PA but equally suppressed OBA. Ascites' neutrophil function could be partially restored after incubation with autologous plasma (median increase PA: 22.5% (-49.7 - +93.2), p = 0.002; OBA: 22.8% (-10.4 - +48.8), p = 0.002). Ascites' neutrophils of patients with cirrhosis are functionally impaired, but could be partially restored after incubation with plasma. Further investigations are needed to identify the factors in ascites that are associated with neutrophils' function.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig; Section of Hepatology; Department of Internal Medicine, Neurology, Dermatology, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Cornelius
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Engelmann
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig; Section of Hepatology; Department of Internal Medicine, Neurology, Dermatology, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.|University Hospital Leipzig; Institute of Clinical Immunology, Johannisalle 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig; Institute of Clinical Immunology, Johannisalle 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boldt
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig; Section of Hepatology; Department of Internal Medicine, Neurology, Dermatology, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Toni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Herta
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig; Section of Hepatology; Department of Internal Medicine, Neurology, Dermatology, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Albrecht
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boehlig
authors.affiliation: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin; Department for General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Splith
authors.affiliation: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin; Department for General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Moritz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmelzle
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig; Section of Hepatology; Department of Internal Medicine, Neurology, Dermatology, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Niklas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig; Section of Hepatology; Department of Internal Medicine, Neurology, Dermatology, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krohn
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Leipzig; Department for General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig.
authors.forename: Hans-Michael
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Tautenhahn
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Leipzig; Department for General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bartels
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig; Institute of Clinical Immunology, Johannisalle 30, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sack
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Leipzig; Section of Hepatology; Department of Internal Medicine, Neurology, Dermatology, Liebigstrasse 20, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Berg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001804:Blood Transfusion, Autologous; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology*; D010587:Phagocytosis; D016897:Respiratory Burst