title: [Infection due to hepatitis B virus and host immune response].
abstract: Cell-mediated immunity (CMI) to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was investigated in patients who recovered from acute hepatitis B and in chronic carriers of the antigen, either with or without liver disease. The study was performed using leucocyte migration inhibition test and purified HBsAg. In antigen-negative post-hepatitis patients the frequency of cellular immunity to HBsAg (63.6%) showed a significant difference to controls. On the other hand, only one out of 5 antigen-positive post-hepatitis patients showed sensitisation to HBsAg; four out of these cases had chronic hepatitis at liver biopsy. In HBsAg-chronic carriers, with or without liver disease, the frequency of CMI to HBsAg was not significant to controls. A significant correlation was noted between inflammatory activity and inhibition of migration. Our results suggest that a normal cellular immune response to HBsAg is necessary for the recovery from acute hepatitis B and for the clearance of the virus. In HBsAg-chronic carriers this response seems to be absent or inadequate, leading to the state of healthy chronic carriers or to the evolution to HBsAg-chronic hepatitis, respectively. The high frequency of CMI in HBsAg-negative chronic active hepatitis, suggests that hepatitis B virus infection may play a role in the ethiology of the disease.
mesh_terms: D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001782:Blood Donors; D002353:Carrier State / Q000276:immunology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D006511:Hepatitis B Antigens
vernacular_title: Infezione da virus dell'epatite B e risposta immunitaria dell'ospite