title: An increased number of circulating gamma/delta TCR + T cells in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.
abstract: There is evidence that gamma/delta TCR+T cells are specialized in recognizing different antigens, but their immunologic role as a second TCR is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the percentage of absolute numbers of circulating gamma/delta TCR + T cells in patients with chronic viral hepatitis (CVH) and to compare with HBsAg+, HCV healthy carriers and healthy subjects. Forty nine patients with CVH-24 with chronic active (CAH) and 25 with chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH)-, 21 HBsAg+, 20 HCV asymptomatic carriers and 20 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. Lymphocyte subsets were determined after incubation with monoclonal antibodies to T total (CD5) and T gamma/delta cells (TCR-gamma/delta-1) using immunofluorescence microscopy. An increased number of circulating gamma/delta TCR + T cells was found in patients with CVH in comparison with asymptomatic carriers and normal controls: this increase was more profound in patients with CAH, compared to CPH patients. These results indicate a correlation between circulating gamma/delta TCR + T cells in CVH patients and activity and chronicity of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nikolopoulou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skoutelis
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thomopoulos
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Salsaa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zoumbos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000032:analysis*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta