title: Proliferative and cytotoxic T-cell clones recognize endogenously synthesized HBcAg in an asymptomatic HBsAg carrier.
abstract: The characterization of immune responses to hepatitis B virus is crucial for the understanding of hepatitis B virus-caused liver disease. However, lack of a suitable autologous effector-target cell system makes a precise study of the pathogenesis of hepatitis B difficult. In this study we established a model system by using autologous HBcAg-expressing Epstein-Barr virus-immortalized lymphoblastoid cell lines as stimulator/target cells. T-cell cultures were established by repetitive stimulation with recombinant HBcAg or autologous HBcAg-expressing lymphoblastoid cell lines. Both proliferative and cytotoxic T-cell clones were obtained from the peripheral blood of an asymptomatic HBsAg carrier. Clones T12 (CD8+) and T2B (CD4+) were cytotoxic clones specific against autologous lymphoblastoid cell lines expressing endogenously synthesized HBcAg, whereas five CD4+ T-cell clones proliferated in response to lymphoblastoid cell lines incubated with exogenous recombinant HBcAg and autologous HBcAg-expressing lymphoblastoid cell lines. These results indicate that autologous HBcAg-expressing lymphoblastoid cell lines are appropriate stimulator/target cells for the study of HBcAg-specific T lymphocytes. By using this approach, we have demonstrated that both proliferative and cytotoxic T lymphocytes recognizing endogenously synthesized HBcAg are induced during chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, National Yang-Ming Medical College, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
authors.forename: P Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D002353:Carrier State; D002455:Cell Division; D002999:Clone Cells; D000939:Epitopes; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D011994:Recombinant Proteins