Functional analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes isolated from patients with chronic hepatitis type B.
Cell-mediated immunity, evaluated by lymphocyte proliferation and expression of the activation antigen interleukin-2 receptor in response to mitogens such as phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin-A, has been reported to be defective in chronic hepatitis B virus carriers. However, no definite conclusion on the functional state of T cells from these patients can be drawn. In the present study, we have investigated the expression of a wide set of lymphoid activation molecules as well as the proliferative response of peripheral blood lymphocytes isolated from patients with chronic hepatitis type B after in vitro stimulation with monoclonal antibodies to both the T-cell receptor-CD3 complex and the CD2 molecule, which are the two main T-cell activation pathways. Our findings show that peripheral T lymphocytes from patients with chronic hepatitis type B express the activation antigens 4F2 molecule, interleukin-2 receptor, and activation inducer molecule (AIM) antigen, and proliferate normally after specific stimulation through either the T-cell receptor-CD3 complex or the CD2 molecule. These results suggest that the peripheral blood T cells of patients with chronic hepatitis B are fully operative and functionally competent in vitro.
García-Monzón
C
C
Liver Unit, Hospital de la Princesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
Moreno-Otero
R
R
García-Buey
L
L
López-Botet
M
M
De Landázuri
M O
MO
Sánchez-Madrid
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D002353:Carrier State; D002455:Cell Division; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte