title: Identification of lymphocytes in percutaneous liver biopsy cores. Different T:B cell ratio in HB sAg-positive and -negative hepatitis.
abstract: The lymphocytes infiltrating the liver were isolated and characterized as T or B cells in three groups of patients: 20 patients with hepatitis B surface antigen (HB sAg)-positive acute and chronic hepatitis, 8 patients with HBsAg-negative chronic hepatitis with prior evidence for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and 5 patients with HBsAg-negative chronic hepatitis without prior evidence for HBV infection. The predominant cell infiltrating the liver was shown to be a T cell in all categories; however, the ratio of T:B cells was significantly lower (1.96) in the patients without evidence for HBV infection than in the patients who were HBsAg-positive at (7.86), or before (8.85) the time of study. The significantly (P less than 0.001) higher number of B cells in the patients with chronic hepatitis of unknown etiology suggests that a different immunopathogenetic mechanism is operative in this group. A peripheral T lymphocytopenia was observed in patients with both antecedent and existent HBs-antigenemia, but not in the patients without evidence for HBV infection.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes