title: In vitro synthesis of IgG and IgM in patients with HBsAg-positive and HBsAg-negative chronic active hepatitis.
abstract: Spontaneous and PWM-driven IgG and IgM synthesis was investigated in the PBMC of 15 patients with HBsAg-negative CAH and six HBsAg-positive patients with CAH. PBMC from patients with HBsAg-positive CAH show an impaired IgG synthesis upon stimulation with PWM but an IgM increase similar to that of control subjects. In contrast, PBMC from HBsAg-negative patients with CAH show a trend to spontaneous increased synthesis of IgG and a decrease or lack of IgG and IgM synthesis upon PWM stimulation. Steroid treatment seems to ameliorate these alterations. No differences were found among the three groups of HBsAg-negative chronic active hepatitis (autoimmune, HBsAg-related and cryptogenic). These results indicate that differences of B-cell functions may exist in the two groups of CAH patients, not only in spontaneous B-cell activation or PWM-induced Ig synthesis but also in the different classes of Ig.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens
chemical_list: D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens