title: The relationship between LeY antigen and the therapeutic efficacy of interferon in chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: The expression of LeY antigen (Fuc alpha 1-->2Gal beta 1-->4 [Fuc alpha-->3] GlcNAc beta 1-->R), recognized by the monoclonal antibody BM-1, was studied in peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subpopulations in patients with viral hepatitis, and in liver tissue of patients with acute viral hepatitis. The relationship between the expression of LeY antigen on peripheral blood T-lymphocytes and the effects of interferon (IFN) therapy for chronic hepatitis type C were also evaluated. LeY antigen is not markedly expressed in B or T-lymphocytes of healthy individuals. However, it was strongly expressed in CD8 and CD4 T-lymphocytes in patients with viral hepatitis. In the acute phase of acute viral hepatitis, the expression of LeY antigen was more markedly expressed on peripheral CD8 T-lymphocytes than on CD4 T-lymphocytes. In chronic hepatitis type B and type C, it was significantly expressed more often on CD4 T-lymphocytes. In the liver tissues of patients with acute viral hepatitis, LeY antigen was expressed on hepatocytes and infiltrating lymphocytes. IFN therapy for chronic active hepatitis type C proved most effective when LeY antigen was more markedly expressed on the patient's CD4 and CD8 peripheral blood T-lymphocytes before treatment. Further studies are needed to clarify the relationship between the mechanisms of hepatic cell injury and LeY antigen.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sata
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hino
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kosedo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanikawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016256:Lewis X Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D016256:Lewis X Antigen; D011994:Recombinant Proteins