title: Interferon-gamma receptors on T cells in patients with chronic liver disease.
abstract: Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) appears to be important for the activation of T cells, and its binding to IFN-gamma receptors on T cells is an essential step for its actions. We investigated the expression of IFN-gamma receptors on T cells in chronic liver disease using radioiodinated recombinant interferon-gamma binding assay, and by Scatchard analysis. The mean numbers of IFN-gamma receptors on T cells from controls, asymptomatic hepatitis B virus carriers (ASC), patients with chronic active hepatitis (CAH), and patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) were 2,205 +/- 497, 2,494 +/- 1,074, 1,925 +/- 735, and 1,666 +/- 653, respectively. The numbers of IFN-gamma receptors on T cells from the patients with LC were significantly smaller than those of controls (P less than 0.05). Kids of IFN-gamma receptor on T cells from control and patient groups were 2.3 4.8 x 10(-9) M, and there was no significant difference among the groups. The percentage of T cells reactive with OKT3, OKT4, or OKT8 was similar in control and patient groups. These findings suggest that the decrease in IFN-gamma receptors in LC is not related to the activity of the liver damage, but is associated with the severity of the underlying disease. The normal expression of IFN-gamma receptors on T cells from CAH may provide a reasonable basis for IFN-gamma therapy to type B CAH.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Medicine, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kakumu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fuji
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tahara
mesh_terms: D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000276:immunology*; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D017471:Receptors, Interferon; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D017471:Receptors, Interferon; D007371:Interferon-gamma