[Laser flow cytometry in the diagnosis of chronic hepatitis of different etiologies].

A study was made of the immune status in patients suffering from chronic hepatitis (CH) of viral, alcoholic and toxic etiology. The T-system cellular immunity (OKT-3+, OKT-4+, OKT-8+, OKT-11+) was subjected to a subpopulation analysis using monoclonal antibodies and flow laser cytometry. CH of varying etiology is marked by impairment of the immune status. Especially manifest are suppression of OKT-3(+)-, OKT-4(+)-, OKT-8(+)-positive cells and imbalance of OKT-4+ and OKT-8+, with the changes revealed being dependent on the etiological pattern of CH. The data obtained point to the development of secondary immunodeficiency of the T-cell component at the level of different T lymphocyte subpopulations, which depends on the clinico-morphological and etiological pattern of CH. The revealed changes in the immune system may serve as a criterion for differential diagnosis and elaboration of efficient immunocorrective therapy of CH.