engleski

Mitogen-stimulated lymphopcyte transformation and hepatocyte growth factor in alcoholic cirrhosis patients

Impaired immunodefense and infections are very common and often fatal complications in liver alcoholic cirrhosis patients. The results of studies on circulating lymphocytes ability to undergo blast transformation with polyclonal mitogens in vitro are different. On the other side, the hepatocyte growth factor is a multifunctional cytokine, the most potent mitogen for hepatocytes, but also for multipotent hemopoietic cells. HGF levels usually increase during liver regeneration. The aim of the study was to determine whether the ability of blast transformation and HGF levels change in liver cirrhosis. Blast transformation of lymphocytes was measured with polyclonal mitogens and HGF levels by the ELISA method in 33 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and in a group of 42 healthy volunteers. Blast transformation of lymphocytes with Pha, ConA and PWM was diminished in 72.7%, 78.8%, and 66.7% patients, respectively. In healthy volunteers blast transformation was within the normal range. HGF levels were higher in cirrhotics than in healthy volunteers (0.98*0.38 vs. 0.2*0.06 ng/ml, p<0.001). These preliminary results suggested that alcohol consumption reduced the ability of blast stimulation and at the same time increased the HGF levels. Further studies of the relationship between HGF and in vitro blast transformation of lymphocytes in liver cirrhosis are required.

alcohol liver cirrhosis; HGF; lymphocyte transformation

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