The effect of alcoholism on the lymphocyte populations and prognosis of chronic active hepatitis.

The effect of alcohol ingestion on the prognosis of chronic liver diseases was studied'n. Among 880 patients with chronic liver diseases the percentage of alcoholics was high, 33%, compared to 3.2% in the control group. The period of survival time is decreased by one half in patients with regular alcohol ingestion. According to 'in vitro' investigations they report that in chronic active hepatitis the low Et-rosette forming cell number is further decreased after incubation with alcohol, and ethanol inhibits the immune-stimulating effects of levamisole on Ett-rosette forming cells.