Serum and cellular factors in murine obstructive jaundice.

The present experiments were performed to determine whether serum or cellular factors are responsible for the immune suppression observed in biliary obstruction.Male Lewis strain rats underwent bile duct ligation and division (BDL) or sham celiotomy (SC). Spleen cells (splenocytes) and lymph node cells (lymphocytes) were isolated 3 to 14 days later. Levels of direct and total serum bilirubin and total conjugated bile acids and response of BDL and SC splenocytes and lymphocytes to concanavalin A (Con A) and phytohemagglutinin were measured. Splenocytes from normal Lewis rats were then added to medium containing 20 microliters, 40 microliters, and 100 microliters BDL or SC serum and incubated with Con A. BDL or SC splenocytes were injected into normal Lewis rats, and splenocytes from those rats were studied 24 hours later (adoptive transfer). Splenocytes from BDL and SC rats were separated into nylon wool adherent and nonadherent fractions and incubated with Con A and phytohemagglutinin.The mitogenic response to Con A and phytohemagglutinin was depressed in BDL splenocytes but normal in BDL lymphocytes. BDL serum suppressed the proliferative response of normal splenocytes, and adoptive transfer of cells produced immunosuppression. Removal of a nylon wool adherent fraction of cells restored the lymphoproliferative response in BDL splenocytes.The blastogenic response to phytohemagglutinin and Con A was decreased in BDL splenocytes. This effect was transferrable by both serum and cells. Removal of a subpopulation of splenocytes corrected the defect.