title: Analysis of hepatitis B surface antigen expression on leucocyte subpopulations by two-color fluorescence with flow cytometry.
abstract: We have analyzed the expression of HBsAg on different subpopulations of peripheral blood cells from hepatitis B virus (HBV) infected patients using two-color immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. An average of 7.4 +/- 0.8% and 9.8 +/- 1.2% HBsAg + cells were found among cells from acute and chronic hepatitis B patients, respectively. When studied by two-color immunofluorescence, HBsAg was limited to cells expressing the B-cell restricted antigen CD19 (16.7 +/- 2.4%), whereas for the other subsets studied (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD67+, CD68+) the percentage of positivity was lower than 4%. The expression of viral antigen on B cells might be relevant for a number of functional interactions between HBsAg+ B and T lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Inmunogenética, Hosptial de Clínicas José de San Martín, Facultad de Medicina, Buenos Aires.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Izuel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fainboim
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fainboim
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Roisman
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D003116:Color; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens