title: Functional analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes isolated from patients with chronic hepatitis type B.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Liver Unit, Hospital de la Princesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: García-Monzón
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moreno-Otero
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: García-Buey
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López-Botet
authors.forename: M O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: De Landázuri
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Madrid
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte