Identification with monoclonal antibodies of T-cell subsets in peripheral blood and ascitic fluid of patients with alcoholic hepatic cirrhosis.

In an attempt to investigate an aspect of the immunoregulatory mechanisms operating in alcoholic hepatic cirrhosis with ascites we have enumerated T-cell subsets in the peripheral blood and ascitic fluid of 16 patients with this disease. The peripheral blood analysis revealed a reduction of OKT3+, OKT4+ and OKT8+ cells compared to those of the control group (p less than 0.001) and an increase of OKT4+/OKT8+ ratio. In the ascitic fluid the OKT4+/OKT8+ ratio, compared to that of the peripheral blood, was decreased (p less than 0.001) because of increase of OKT8+ cell proportion. We suggest that the sequestrated splanchnic OKT8+ subset might be represented by suppressor lymphocytes transuding from the liver.