[Eosinophilia in primary biliary cirrhosis].

ABSTRACT

The numbers and the percent of eosinophils in peripheral blood of thirty patients with primary biliary cirrhosis were serially measured and were compared with their clinical data. eosinophils of 22 patients at non icteric stage (total bilirubin less than 2.0 mg/dl) were significantly higher (P less than 0.05) than those of 8 patients at icteric stage (total bilirubin more than 2.0 mg/dl). Seven patients (23.3%) showed eosinophilia with value of 6% or more and in which four patients (13.3%) showed eosinophilia more than 8%. These eosinophilia was found in non icteric patients alone but not in icteric. In two patients who have shown eosinophilia at their non icteric stage, numbers of their eosinophils decreased gradually following the increment of their total bilirubin levels. These results would indicate that eosinophils in the peripheral bloods of PBC patients could reflect some clinical conditions at their non icteric stage.