Cellular sensitivity to native type IV collagen in primary biliary cirrhosis.

We examined 60 patients with various chronic liver diseases for cellular sensitivity to native human type I and IV collagens using an in vitro leucocyte migration inhibition test. Mononuclear cells from 7 (33%) of 21 patients with chronic active hepatitis, 14 (52%) of 27 patients with liver cirrhosis and 11 (92%) of 12 patients with primary biliary cirrhosis exhibited cellular sensitivity to type IV collagen, although cells from almost all patients responded to type I collagen. None except one for type I collagen of 25 normal controls showed positive response to both collagens. In chronic active hepatitis and liver cirrhosis, cellular sensitivity to type IV collagen was significantly lower than to type I collagen (p < 0.01). Patients with primary biliary cirrhosis showed significantly higher cellular sensitivity to type IV collagen when compared to patients with other chronic liver diseases (p < 0.01). Cellular sensitivity to type IV collagen was significantly correlated with serum levels of the 7S domain of type IV collagen in all 85 subjects (r = +0.462, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that cellular sensitivity to type IV collagen as well as to type I collagen exists in chronic liver disease, especially in primary biliary cirrhosis, and may reflect the accelerated metabolism of the perisinusoidal and peribiliary basement membranes.