Helper-Inducer and Suppressor-Inducer Lymphocyte Subsets in Alcoholic Cirrhosis

Abstract

Peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, alcohol-induced fatty liver, and healthy controls were analyzed for helper-inducer (CD4⁺CD29w⁺) and suppressor-inducer (CD4⁺CD45R⁺) T lymphocytes. In confirmation of earlier reports, patients with alcoholic cirrhosis were found to have a significantly reduced absolute number of peripheral lymphocytes (p=0.03), an elevated relative percentage of CD3⁺ cells (median, 76% versus 68% p=0.0004) and CD4+ T cells (median, 56% versus 51% p=0.0011), and a reduced percentage of CD8⁺ T lymphocytes (median, 11% versus 20% p=0.0007) as compared with the control group. No difference in lymphocyte subsets was observed between controls and patients with alcohol-induced fatty liver. Within the CD4⁺ T-cell population a change in the relative proportion of two complementary lymphocyte subsets (CD4⁺CD29w⁺ helper-inducer and CD4⁺CD45R⁺ suppressor-inducer T cells) was observed in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis: a higher percentage of CD4⁺CD29w⁺ helper-inducer T cells were circulating in their peripheral blood than in healthy controls (median, 33% versus 28% p=0.0036), whereas the CD4⁺CD45R⁺ suppressor-inducer T-cell subset did not differ (median, 21% versus 21%) between the two groups. Owing to the reduction of lymphocyte counts in cirrhotic patients the absolute number of CD4⁺CD29w⁺ cells was not different from that of control individuals; however, CD4⁺CD45R⁺ T cells in peripheral blood (p=0.0063) were absolutely reduced. More CD4⁺ cells were simultaneously CD29w⁺ in cirrhotic patients (61%) than in controls (52%), whereas a lower percentage of CD4⁺ lymphocytes was also CD45R⁺ in these patients (33%) as compared with controls (40%). A weak but significant correlation (r=-0.48; p=0.03) between serum immunoglobulin G concentration and absolute number of circulating CD4⁺CD45R⁺ suppressor-inducer T cells was observed, pointing to the functional relevance of an imbalance of helper-inducer and suppressor-inducer T lymphocytes in vivo; this might contribute in part to some of the immunoregulatory disturbances found in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis.

Key Words:

• Alcoholic cirrhosis
• helper-inducer T cells
• lymphocyte phenotypes
• suppressor-inducer T cells