Correlation between self-perpetuation of hepatitis and autoimmune phenomenon still remains obscure. Recently, attention has been drawn to the fact that blastoid cell transformation occurs with the addition of phytohemagglutinin when culturing human lymphocytes. Using lymphocytes taken from 55 patients with chronic liver diseases, which were cultured with a medium containing autologous liver homogenate obtained by needle biopsy, the occurrence of blastoid cell transformation was studied. Blastoid cell transformation was demonstrated in about one-third of the patients. The transformation rate, ranging from 0.2% to 7.4%, was lower than that of lymphocyte cultures to which phytohemagglutinin was added. But no evidence of blastoid cells was found in the patients without liver diseases. As compared to those with a negative response, the values of GOT, GPT and BSP were significantly elevated in the patients with a positive response and, histologically, marked infiltration of small lymphocytes and necrosis of liver cells were observed. Furthermore, a tendency toward poor prognosis was shown by many patients with a positive response. In patients with a positive blastoid cell response, positive rheumatoid serologic findings were also present significantly, indicating a close correlation between the two. The above observations suggest that the lymphocytes, sensitized by the patient’s own liver, play a certain part in the mechanism of self-perpetuation of hepatitis
