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Immunological factors are important in the pathogenesis of a wide spectrum of hepatobiliary diseases. Using flow cytometry, we determined the changes in lymphocyte subsets and natural killer cells in 123 individuals (81 patients with liver disease and 42 healthy volunteers). The liver diseases included periportal fibrosis (PPF, 10 patients), liver cirrhosis (LC, 31 patients), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, 40 patients). Schistosomiasis and viral hepatitis B and C were the putative etiological agents of liver diseases. Immunophenotyping by indirect immunofluorescence was conducted using monoclonal antibodies to CD3 (T-lymphocytes), CD4 (helper/inducer T-cells), CD8 (suppressor/cytotoxic T-cells), and CD57 (natural killer cells) cell surface markers. Immunophenotyping of PPF patients showed no significant changes in all markers compared with the healthy controls. However, there was a significant decrease ( P<0.01) in CD3 and CD4 T-cells, and a highly significant increase ( P<0.001) in CD57 T-cells in patients with LC or HCC. In addition, LC and HCC patients showed no significant change in CD8 T-cells compared with controls. In conclusion, the progression of liver diseases is associated with a dysregulation of cellular immune responses. T-lymphocytes and natural killer cells may play a role in the immunopathogenesis of liver cirrhosis and HCC.

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Recent advances in the rapid serodiagnosis of Tlphoid fever INTRODUCTION Typhoid fever remains a public health problem in most developing countries. The available conventional methods remain unsatisfactory since they are too slow to allow quick decision by the clinician. Culture method may show specificity but it lacked sensitivity and speed. It produced results within 2-7 days and cases of culture negative typhoid were well recognisedl'z. The antibody detection resr (Widal test) although widely used, lacked speed, sensitivity and specificity. For meaningful interpretation of the test, demonstration of 4 fold rise in antibody titers between acute and convalescent sera 10-14 days later was essential.