STUDIES ON AN INHIBITORY FACTOR TO PHYTOHEMAGGLUTININ-INDUCED LYMPHOCYTE-TRANSFORMATION FOUND IN SERUM OF PATIENTS WITH VARIOUS LIVER-DISEASES

  • 1 January 1978
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 25  (5) , 335-343
Abstract
When normal lymphocytes were stimulated with PHA [phytohemagglutinin] in the presence of serum taken from patients with various liver diseases, decreased lymphocyte transformation was seen in many cases. The occurrence of a serum inhibitory factor in liver diseases tends to increase with the progress of the disease from acute hepatitis to cirrhosis of the liver. No such inhibitory factor was detected in 2 asymptomatic Hbs[hepatitis B surface]-antigen carriers. When the inhibitory factor was fractionated by DE-52 column chromatography, an active component was obtained which had mobilities from .alpha.2-globulin to .beta.-globulin in cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis. Two active fractions were separated by DEAE-cellulose column chromatography with stepwise increases of the concentration of the acetate buffer. Their mobilities were consistent with those of .alpha.1-globulin and .alpha.2-globulin, respectively. In 11 cases of acute hepatitis which were followed for at least 6 mo., 3 of 4 inhibitory factor-positive cases developed into the chronic form and the other became a protracted case. Six of 7 inhibitory factor-negative cases completely recovered and the remaining case followed a protracted course.