Apoptosis observed in peripheral T lymphocytes from patients with chronic hepatitis B.
OBJECTIVE
Activation-induced cell death is involved in regulating peripheral T-cell function. Understanding the kinetics of these T cells is important to elucidate the pathogenesis of chronic hepatitis B, which is mediated by cellular immune mechanisms.


METHODS
Subtle apoptotic cells in CD3+ cells were discriminated by flow-cytometric assay using freshly obtained and in vitro recombinant hepatitis B core antigen-stimulated peripheral lymphocytes from patients with chronic hepatitis.


RESULTS
The ratio of apoptotic cells in freshly obtained CD3+ cells was significantly higher during the decreasing phase than increasing phase of serum alanine aminotransferase activity in each patient, and apoptosis of CD3+ cells was induced by stimulation with recombinant hepatitis B core antigen.


CONCLUSIONS
Activation-induced cell death in peripheral T cells was found in chronic hepatitis B virus infection, similar to some other viral infections. The apoptosis in T cells during the decreasing phase of serum alanine aminotransferase activity results in a vast amount of T-cell deletion that may weaken T-cell function of cytotoxicity over hepatitis B virus-infected hepatocytes. Thus, activation-induced cell death is considered an important modulator in down-regulating the "burst" of responding T cells in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Nakamura
K
K
First Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Japan.
Yuh
K
K
Sugyo
S
S
Shijo
H
H
Kimura
N
N
Okumura
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D017209:Apoptosis; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015333:Gene Rearrangement, beta-Chain T-Cell Antigen Receptor; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*
D017252:CD3 Complex; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D000410:Alanine Transaminase