Studies of immune functions of patients with chronic hepatitis.

Peripheral T cells from patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH) showed a significantly decreased suppressor effect (or increased helper effect) on allogeneic B cell differentiation into Ig-producing cells (Ig-PC) (p less than 0.05). After irradiation of T cells to eliminate suppressor influences, mean spontaneous helper activity of CAH was not different from that of healthy subjects, indicating that spontaneous helper activity of CAH was normal. Concanavalin A (Con A)-induced suppressor cell activity was significantly decreased in CAH (p less than 0.01, 9 defective cases out of 18 patients). Minor defect of Con A-induced suppressor activity was also found in some patients with chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH) (2 defective cases out of 14 patients). Autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR) was significantly decreased in patients with CAH (p less than 0.005). Spontaneous suppressor or Con A-induced suppressor activity was not different statistically between HBsAg-positive and HBsAg-negative cases. Finally, we demonstrated a presence of a serum factor(s) that can decrease Con A-induced suppressor cell function of healthy subjects in 7 of 21 patients with CAH and 2 of 14 CPH. Our results suggest that defective suppressor cell function likely attributable to serum factor(s) may reflect altered immune responses of CAH.