Lymphocyte subsets and cytokines in ascitic fluid of decompensated cirrhotic patients with and without spontaneous ascites infection

ABSTRACT

Background: Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis [SBP] is a frequently encountered and important complication of decompensated liver cirrhosis. The immune system plays an important role in the development or eradication of this infection. A number of compositional and functional alterations in immune system cells have been demonstrated in cirrhotic patients however, there is a lack of knowledge about this issue in ascitic infections