inosine-pranobex and Liver-Cirrhosis--Alcoholic

Blood leukocytes of 16 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis and 18 healthy controls were induced for interferon (IFN) production by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and concanavalin A (ConA) in the presence or absence of isoprinosine and levamisole at concentrations of 10 micrograms/ml and 1 ng/ml. This interferon was neutralized in 87-95% by anti-HuIFN-gamma monoclonal antibodies. In the presence of the drugs the IFN-gamma production was enhanced, however, IFN-gamma titers yielded from leukocytes of cirrhotic patients were still below the titers observed in stimulated and unstimulated blood leukocytes of healthy controls. For example, IFN titers induced by PHA in the presence of levamisole (1 ng/ml) in cirrhotic patients were 2.5 times lower (20.2 +/- 11.1 U/ml) in comparison to healthy subjects (50.6 +/- 27.3 U/ml).

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Adult; Aged; Concanavalin A; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Inosine Pranobex; Interferon-gamma; Leukocytes; Levamisole; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic; Lymphocyte Activation; Middle Aged; Phytohemagglutinins

Immunomodulating effect of isoprinosine was estimated in group of 10 patients with postalcoholic liver cirrhosis and compared with another group of 10 patients with postinflammatory liver cirrhosis with infection of hepatitis B virus. Disturbances of immunologic reactivity in the patients with postalcoholic liver cirrhosis mainly concerned increased immunoglobulin G, A concentrations in the blood serum, decreased percentage values of lymphocytes T and their subpopulations (lymphocytes T4 and T8) and increased percentage of lymphocytes B. Disturbances of the examined indices of the immunologic reactivity in the group of patient with postinflammatory liver cirrhosis concerned increased concentrations of circulating immunologic complexes, immunoglobulins A and M in the blood serum and decreased percentage of lymphocytes T and their subpopulation. Treatment with isoprinosine resulted in different immunologic effect in the examined patients concerning mainly increased concentrations of circulating immunologic complexes in the blood serum and increased percentage values of lymphocytes T, T4, T8, B in the course of postalcoholic liver cirrhosis. Patients with postinflammatory liver cirrhosis treated with isoprinosine mainly showed decreased concentrations of circulating immunologic complexes, immunoglobulins A, M the blood serum, increased percentage values of lymphocytes T4 and T8.

Topics: Adult; Aged; B-Lymphocytes; Hepatitis B; Humans; Immunoglobulins; Inosine; Inosine Pranobex; Leukocyte Count; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic; Male; Middle Aged; T-Lymphocytes