Lymphocyte Transformation and Hepatitis I. Impairment of Thymidine Incorporation and DNA Polymerase Activity

SummaryLymphocytes from patients with viral hepatitis were found to be hyporesponsive to the replicating stimulus of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in vitro. This was shown by an impairment both in the induction of DNA polymerase activity and thymidine incorporation into the cellular DNA by PHA-stimulated lymphocytes. The deficit is transient and occurs with the onset of clinical symptoms.