Detection of circulating immune complexes in alcoholic liver disease.

Sera of twenty-five patients with alcoholic liver disease and forty normal control sera were screened for circulating immune complexes by means of the anti-antibody neutralization test and by Raji-cell membrane immunofluorescence assay. IgG-containing immune complexes were detected in thirteen out of twenty-five patients with alcoholic liver diseases and in one out of forty normal individuals; in addition, IgA-containing complexes were demonstrated in seven out of thirteen sera positive for IgG complexes. The presence of immune complexes was restricted to alcoholic hepatitis and active cirrhosis, thus indicating a relationship with disease severity.