A possible cytotoxicity inducer role of 5/9 positive lymphocytes infiltrating the liver in CAH patients.
The presence, in chronic active hepatitis (CAH) patients, of an inflammatory infiltrate basically composed of T lymphocytes suggested the hypothesis that these lymphocytes could play a role in the pathogenesis of the disease. The aim of this study has been to characterize, in a group of carefully selected CAH patients, the liver-infiltrating T lymphocyte, utilizing commercial monoclonal antibody (anti-Leu 1, anti-Leu 2a, anti-Leu 3a) and 5/9 monoclonal antibody that recognizes a further lymphocyte subset within T4 cells. Our data show that both T4 positive subpopulation and T8 positive subpopulation are represented in the infiltrate in the same ratio; furthermore the distribution of 5/9 positive lymphocytes is prevalent where the infiltrate is mainly composed of T8 positive lymphocytes. Moreover, there is a positive correlation between 5/9 positive cells in the liver and GPT and the patients with high percentages of infiltrating 5/9 positive lymphocytes show a low T4/T8 ratio with respect to patients with low percentages of 5/9 positive cells. These data support the hypothesis that 5/9 positive lymphocytes may present an inducer role on cytotoxic cells.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*
D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte