Lymphocyte sequestration by the liver in alcoholic hepatitis.

The possibility that lymphocytes are sequestered by the liver in patients with alcoholic hepatitis was investigated. Sixteen patients who had liver biopsy specimens taken were studied as follows: The T- and B-lymphocyte populations of the peripheral blood and liver biopsy digest were quantitated. The liver biopsy specimens were studied by light and electron microscopy for lymphocyte-hepatocyte interaction. The data were analyzed by comparing the results of patients with and without the presence of Mallory bodies (MBs) in the liver. When MBs were present, the percentage of T cells was significantly increased in the liver compared with peripheral blood. By electron microscopy, two livers with MBs showed lymphocyte-hepatocyte interaction. The results support the concept that lymphocytes participate in a cell-mediated immune process when MBs are present in the liver.