title: Anti-HBs- and anti-HBc-containing plasma cells in livers of patients with chronic type B hepatitis.
abstract: Plasma cells are commonly found in liver biopsies in acute and chronic type B hepatitis. Their specificities have not hitherto been examined. In this study, anti-HBs and anti-HBc were looked for in paraffin sections of liver biopsies from 16 patients with chronic type B hepatitis, all seropositive for HBeAg. The technique used was a reversed immunoperoxidase procedure in which purified antigens were applied to sections and detected by means of a further layer of the appropriate monoclonal antibody. Small numbers of plasma cells stained for anti-HBs and anti-HBc in 6 and 4 of 16 biopsies, respectively. Some plasma cells appeared to contain neither antibody. The two antibodies were detected together in only one biopsy. In spite of the small numbers of positive cells as revealed by the technique used, antiviral antibodies produced locally by plasma cells may play a part in the pathogenesis of viral hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histopathology, Royal Free Hospital, London, U.K.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Petrovic
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Scheuer
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens