title: Predictive indicators for the therapeutic effect of OK-432 in patients with chronic active type B hepatitis.
abstract: Twenty-two patients with chronic type B hepatitis were treated with OK-432. Immunological parameters were serially measured to find predictive indicators for the seroconversion from hepatitis B envelope antigen (HBe Ag) to anti-HBe. In patients who achieved the disappearance of HBe Ag associated with or without the appearance of anti-HBe, the numbers of CD8+DR+ and CD4+DR+T cells in peripheral blood increased gradually during OK-432 therapy and then reduced subsequently to the seroconversion from HBe Ag positive to anti-HBe positive. Increases of DR-positive T cells in numbers were significantly correlated with increased amounts of IFN-gamma produced in response to in vitro OK-432 stimulation. In vitro OK-432-stimulated IFN-gamma production and the increase of CD8+DR+T cells in number in peripheral blood could be proposed as predictive indicators for the disappearance of HBe Ag.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishizaka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsujii
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010844:Picibanil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D010844:Picibanil; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D000410:Alanine Transaminase