thymosin and Hepatitis

Topics: Erythrocytes; Fatty Liver; Female; Hepatitis; Humans; Interleukin-6; Interleukin-8; Male; Middle Aged; Receptors, Complement 3b; Thymosin; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

In vitro IgG synthesis by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM) from patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) was studied. In addition, the effect of pokeweed mitogen (PWM), polyadenylic-polyuridylic acid complexes (poly A:U) and thymosin fraction 5 on IgG synthesis was determined. Unstimulated cultures of PBM from patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH) and alcoholic cirrhosis (AC) synthesized significantly higher quantities of IgG than the controls. Moreover, there was a direct correlation between serum IgG concentrations and the quantity of newly synthesized IgG in these unstimulated cultures. PWM, poly A:U and thymosin each stimulated increased IgG synthesis in the controls. While neither poly A:U nor thymosin enhanced IgG synthesis in patients with CLD, PWM increased IgG synthesis in CAH but not AC. These results indicate that spontaneous in vitro B cell synthesis of IgG is enhanced in CLD and may reflect antigenic stimulation in vivo.

Topics: Adult; Aged; B-Lymphocytes; Chronic Disease; Female; Hepatitis; Humans; Hypergammaglobulinemia; Immunoglobulin G; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic; Liver Diseases; Male; Middle Aged; Pokeweed Mitogens; Poly A-U; Thymosin

Topics: Adult; Aged; Animals; Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Female; Hepatitis; Hepatitis, Alcoholic; Humans; Immunity, Cellular; Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic; Liver Diseases; Lymphocytes; Male; Middle Aged; Rats; Thymosin; Time Factors

Mature T lymphocyte concentrations are reduced, null cell concentrations are increased, and Fc receptor bearing (B and K) lymphocyte concentrations are normal, in the peripheral blood of patients with chronic hepatocellular or cholestatic liver disease. Some null cells can be stimulated by either thymosin or levamisole to form rosettes with sheep erythrocytes. These changes are present in viral, alcohol associated and 'autoimmune' liver disease and are therefore probably secondary phenomena relating to liver damage.

Topics: Adult; Female; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B Antigens; Humans; Leukocyte Count; Levamisole; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary; Liver Diseases; Lymphocytes; Male; Middle Aged; T-Lymphocytes; Thymosin

Recent advances in the treatment of chronic active hepatitis based on several controlled studies indicate that immunosuppressive therapy with corticosteroids alone or in combination with low doses of azathioprine for more than one year is the therapy of choice because of the induction of long lasting remissions. with the combination therapy (10 mg prednisone and 50 mg azathioprine per day) the side effects seem to be less pronounced. Clinical, histological and immunological results indicate that the lupoid form of chronic hepatitis may be differentiated from the HBAg positive one. Although many reports seem to underline that immunosuppressive treatment should be performed in all cases of chronic active hepatitis this conclusion cannot be drawn in general because the controlled studies almost exclusively contained BHAg negative patients. Considering the different conceptions on the aetiology of chronic active hepatitis the possibility has been discussed to influence chronic active hepatitis by active immunotherapy. First results of such a treatment were demonstrated.

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Antibodies; Antibody Formation; Autoantibodies; Azathioprine; Chronic Disease; Female; Hepatitis; Humans; Immunity, Maternally-Acquired; Immunosuppression Therapy; Immunotherapy; Levamisole; Male; Thymosin; Transfer Factor