Participation of the cholestatic factor in the pathogenesis of intrahepatic cholestasis, found in various liver diseases.

The possible involvement of lymphokine, cholestatic factor, in the pathogenesis of intrahepatic cholestasis was investigated in nine patients with different types of liver diseases; two cases with acute viral hepatitis (nonA and nonB type), five patients with alcoholic hepatitis and two cases with liver cirrhosis. All patients showed the typical clinical features of intrahepatic cholestasis. The production of the cholestatic factor from the sensitized lymphocytes was demonstrated by antigenic stimulation in vitro and the existence of the factor was detected in seven out of nine patients in patients' own serum. These results strongly suggest that the cholestatic factor may be partially involved in the induction of intrahepatic cholestasis in various types of liver disease.