title: Liver-derived cytotoxic T cells in hepatitis A virus infection.
abstract: An autologous in vitro model was developed to analyze the immunologic cause of liver tissue injury during hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection. Human T lymphocytes infiltrating the livers of two patients with acute HAV infection were isolated from liver biopsy cores, cloned, and expanded in vitro. Procedures using a cell culture system with HAV-infected autologous skin fibroblasts demonstrated that 42% and 53% of the liver-infiltrating CD8+ clones were HAV-specific and that they kill HAV-infected skin fibroblasts in a human leukocyte antigen-restricted manner. Data show virus-specific killing by liver-infiltrating T lymphocytes in man and support the hypothesis that liver cell injury in acute HAV infection is mediated by HAV-specific CD8+ T lymphocytes and is not caused by a cytopathic effect of the virus itself.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Virology, University of Tübingen, FRG.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vallbracht
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: Y D
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Stierhof
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Wiedmann
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Flehmig
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fleischer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002999:Clone Cells; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I