T lymphocyte sensitization to HBcAg and T cell-mediated unresponsiveness to HBsAg in hepatitis B virus-related chronic liver disease.
Using a newly developed indirect T lymphocyte migration inhibition test, cell-mediated immunity to HBsAg and HBcAg was directly and simultaneously examined in a total of 21 patients with HBsAg-positive chronic liver disease (CLD), and in seven subjects whose sera contained anti-HBs (2 previous acute hepatitis B; 4 hepatitis B vaccine recipients and 1 chronic active hepatitis). T cell sensitization to HBcAg was invariably detected in the HBsAg-positive CLD patients tested (12/12), whereas T cell sensitization to HBsAg was not present in any of the patients (0/21). In contrast, T cell sensitization to HBsAg was present in all anti-HBs-positive subjects. These results support the hypothesis that the cellular immune response to HBcAg, rather than to HBsAg, is implicated in the pathogenesis of HBsAg-positive CLD. Moreover, the observation that the addition of T cells from patients with HBsAg-positive CLD to T cells from anti-HBs positive subjects in a ratio of 1 to 9 reversed their sensitization to HBsAg, suggests that a hyperactivity of HBsAg-specific suppressor T cell population may be responsible for persistent HBs antigenemia.
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007961:Leukocyte Migration-Inhibitory Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007961:Leukocyte Migration-Inhibitory Factors