To investigate whether disordered immune function, as shown by abnormalities in lymphokine production, is present in alcoholic liver disease, interleukin-1 and interleukin-2 activity were assayed in a group of patients with acute alcoholic hepatitis in the absence of underlying cirrhosis, and a group of patients with inactive alcoholic cirrhosis. Activities of both IL-1 and IL-2 in alcoholic hepatitis were similar to those of normal individuals, although in abstinent patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, IL-1 activity was increased and IL-2 activity decreased. Lymphocyte transformation in response to PHA in patients with alcoholic hepatitis was significantly impaired when compared with normal controls, and addition of exogenous IL-2 did not correct this impaired response over a wide range of concentrations of both PHA and IL-2. These observations suggest the underlying defects in cell mediated immunity in acute alcoholic hepatitis, as assessed by blast transformation, could be fundamentally different from those of alcoholic cirrhosis and could be secondary to the metabolic effects of acetaldehyde or altered redox potentials on the behaviour of proliferating cells.