title: Antibody-dependent cell-mediated (K cell) cytotoxicity against isolated hepatocytes in chronic active hepatitis.
abstract: Lymphocytes from 12 of 17 patients with chronic active hepatitis were cytotoxic towards isolated hepatocytes in a microcytotoxicity assay. Enriched fractions of B cells, prepared by removal of E-rosetted cells, were cytotoxic in all 12 cases, whereas T-cell fractions, prepared by removal of erythrocyte-antibody-complement-rosetted cells, were cytotoxic in only 1 case (P less than 0-0005). HBsAg positive and negative cases reacted similarly. In 6 patients the addition of 5 mug aggregated IgG significantly reduced cytotoxicity from 54% +/- 15 to 13% +/- 15 (mean +/- 1S.D.) suggesting that K cells may be the effector cell in an antibody-dependent, cell-mediated reaction directed against a liver-specific membrane lipoprotein.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D046508:Culture Techniques; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000276:immunology; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D008074:Lipoproteins