B lymphocyte function stimulated by staphylococcus aureus Cowan I in chronic liver disease.

Peripheral blood B cell response to staphylococcus aureus (SpA) Cowan I was evaluated in 8 healthy subjects, 8 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC), and 2 patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH) with hypergammaglobulinemia (greater than 2 g/dl). In control studies it was shown that stimulation by SpA Cowan I was much less T cell-dependent than that induced by pokeweed mitogen (PWM) or con-canavalin A (ConA) when the amounts of immunoglobulins (Ig) secreted into culture supernatants were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and the blastogenic response was measured by incorporation of tritiated thymidine. B cells from only 2 patients revealed increased Ig synthesis by SpA Cowan I stimulation. In the study of blastogenic response, increased DNA synthesis of B cells by SpA Cowan I stimulation was observed in 2 patients and decreased DNA synthesis in 3 patients. The remaining patients demonstrated normal range response. There was no correlation between B cell response to SpA Cowan I and clinical data such as gammaglobulin level in the patients studied. These studies indicate that B cell function remains intact in many patients with chronic liver disease with hypergammaglobulinemia.