title: Lymphocyte subsets and beta 2-microglobulin expression in chronic hepatitis C/non-A, non-B. Effects of interferon-alpha treatment.
abstract: Thirty-three patients with chronic hepatitis C/non-A, non-B were included in a randomized controlled study of interferon-alpha 2b (IFN-alpha 2b) treatment, 3 x 10(6) U three times weekly for 36 weeks. Using an immunoperoxidase technique, frozen liver biopsy specimens were examined with MoAbs for the presence of T helper cells (CD4), T suppressor/cytotoxic cells (CD8), total T cells (CD2) and B cells (CD22) before and after treatment. beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-MG) expression on hepatocytes was semiquantified using a scoring system on sections from paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens. Serum levels of beta 2-MG were analysed with a radioimmunoassay technique. Intralobular T helper and T suppressor/cytotoxic cells declined significantly in the treated patients but not in the controls. The portal CD4/CD8 ratio did not change. Before treatment, serum beta 2-MG levels and hepatocyte beta 2-MG expression were significantly higher in patients with chronic active hepatitis compared to patients with chronic persistent hepatitis. Serum beta 2-MG levels increased significantly in responders during IFN treatment, with a maximum after 12 weeks. However, in the liver, the hepatocyte beta 2-MG expression was significantly decreased after treatment. Thus, IFN-alpha treatment does not seem to induce an increased HLA class I antigen hepatocyte expression in chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis, which favours the hypothesis that its anti-viral effects are more important in modulating the disease activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Ostra Hospital, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wejstål
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Norkrans
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Weiland
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schvarcz
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wachter
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fryden
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Glaumann
mesh_terms: D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin