Immunoregulatory T cell function in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

Both concanavalin A (Con A)-induced suppressor cell activity and autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR) were significantly decreased in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) in comparison with those of healthy subjects (p less than 0.001) and p less than 0.001, respectively). Factors inhibiting lymphocyte transformation by Con A and PHA were demonstrated in sera from a majority of the patients with PBC. In approximately half of these patients, some serum factor(s) also induced a decrease of Con A-induced suppressor cell function of lymphocytes from healthy subjects. These results suggest that patients with PBC have impaired immunoregulatory lymphocyte function which may be related to some factor(s) present in serum.