Lymphopenia and lymphocyte transformation in alcoholics

Summary The basis of peripheral blood lymphopenia observed in patients with chronic alcoholism and liver disease was investigated by examining the effect of sera of these patients on in vitro transformation of normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes. A positive correlation was demonstrated between the serum inhibition of phytohaemagglutinin- and pokeweed mitogen-induced transformation and the degree of lymphopenia. Thus serum factors may contribute to the observed lymphopenia by inhibiting lymphocyte production in vivo.This study was supported by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, Royal Australasian College of Physicians and Alfred Hospital Henry Laurie Scholarship Fund.