Hepatitis B virus antigen-specific T-cell activation in patients with acute and chronic hepatitis B.
Since the hepatitis B virus is noncytopathic, it is generally believed that the individual specific immune response determines the course of infection. The lack of data about hepatitis B virus-specific T-cell reactions in acute infection led us to investigate the specific cellular immune response of infected individuals in terms of proliferation, and gamma-interferon and lymphotoxin production. Our results demonstrate that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) from patients with acute and chronic hepatitis B respond weakly to HBsAg. In contrast, patients with acute hepatitis show a vigorous response to the nucleocapsid antigen (HBcAg) in terms of proliferation and lymphokine production, while only few chronic virus carriers gave a proliferative response. Either of the antigens could activate lymphocytes to produce gamma-interferon and lymphotoxin, cytokines which may modulate antiviral immune response.
Jung
M C
MC
Institut für Immunologie, Universität München, Federal Republic of Germany.
Spengler
U
U
Schraut
W
W
Hoffmann
R
R
Zachoval
R
R
Eisenburg
J
J
Eichenlaub
D
D
Riethmüller
G
G
Paumgartner
G
G
Ziegler-Heitbrock
H W
HW
D000208:Acute Disease; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma