Premium
Increased spontaneous and lymphokine‐conditioned IgA and IgG synthesis by B cells from alcoholic cirrhotic patients
Author(s) -
Girón José Antonio,
AlvarezMon Melchor,
MenéndezCaro José Luis,
Abreu Luis,
Albillos Agustín,
Manzano Luis,
Durántez Alberto
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.1840160309
Subject(s) - lymphokine , secretion , alcoholic liver disease , cirrhosis , immunology , antibody , immunoglobulin a , medicine , endocrinology , b cell , immunoglobulin g , biology , antigen
Immunoglobulin secretion by B lymphocytes is a complex process in which lymphokines secreted by T lymphocytes play an important regulatory role. Increased serum levels of IgA and IgG have been characteristically detected in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. We have studied the functional alterations of T and B lymphocytes implicated in the physiopathology of this common immunoglobulin abnormality. After activation with phytohemagglutinin, purified T cells from alcoholic cirrhotic patients showed significantly enhanced secretion of B‐cell differentiation factors for IgG and IgA with respect to those secreted by T cells from healthy controls (p < 0.05). Simultaneously, normal secretion of B‐cell differentiation factor for IgM was demonstrated in T lymphocytes from these patients. The pattern of secretion of the lymphokines involved in the regulation of the B‐cell differentiation pathway found in alcoholic cirrhotic patients was different from that of the primary biliary cirrhotic patients studied. Purified B cells from patients with alcoholic cirrhosis secreted significantly higher amounts of IgA and IgG than did those found in healthy controls, both spontaneously (p < 0.05) and after sequential activation with immunoglobulin ligands ( Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I) and a standard B‐cell differentiation factor preparation (p < 0.05). By contrast, the IgM secretion and regulatory pathway were normal in alcoholic cirrhotic patients. These results support a physiopathological explanation for the characteristic hyperimmunoglobulinemia found in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. (H EPATOLOGY 1992;16:664–670.)