Variations in humoral and cellular immunologic changes in relation to the evolutive stage of chronic active liver disease.

The humoral immune changes (of Ig, CIC, C3) and the cellular ones (T lymphocytes with the T1, T2, Ta subpopulations and B lymphocytes) have been followed up for a mean period of 36 months in 22 patients with chronic active liver disease (CALD), of whom 11 with chronic active hepatitis and 11 with active liver cirrhosis. Thirteen of these patients received long term corticotherapy and 9 only a hepatotropic treatment. A comparison of the mean values of the immune parameters investigated in the active and in the remission stages has revealed an improvement of the immune disorders in the remission stages, both at humoral and cellular levels, more evident in the patients treated by corticotherapy.