Tumor necrosis factor alpha production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with chronic liver disease.

We investigated the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with chronic liver disease and its association with hepatitis activity. Tumor necrosis factor alpha production was measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Tumor necrosis factor alpha production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with recombinant gamma-interferon of patients with chronic active hepatitis (5.8 +/- 4.0 units per ml, p less than 0.05) and patients with cirrhosis (4.1 +/- 2.1 units per ml, p less than 0.05) was significantly increased when compared with controls (2.5 +/- 1.6 units per ml). Tumor necrosis factor alpha production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with a combination of recombinant gamma-interferon and recombinant interleukin 2 of patients with chronic persistent hepatitis (5.8 +/- 3.8 units per ml, p less than 0.05), patients with chronic active hepatitis (8.9 +/- 3.0 units per ml, p less than 0.001) and patients with cirrhosis (6.7 +/- 3.2 units per ml, p less than 0.05) was significantly increased in comparison with controls (3.3 +/- 1.8 units per ml). Tumor necrosis factor alpha production of patients with chronic active hepatitis was significantly higher than that of patients with chronic persistent hepatitis (p less than 0.05). There was a significant correlation (r = 0.5699, p less than 0.005) between tumor necrosis factor alpha production and histologic activity index in patients with chronic persistent hepatitis or chronic active hepatitis. These findings show that tumor necrosis factor alpha production is increased in chronic liver disease and that the increased tumor necrosis factor alpha production is related to hepatitis activity.