title: [Detection of HBcAg-specific cytotoxic lymphocytes and their association with clinical status in patients with hepatitis B].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the difference of host immune response specific to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections between acute self-limited and chronic persistent hepatitis by quantitative analysis of HLA-A * 2402-restricted HBcAg-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte cells (CTL) cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The frequency of HBV-specific CTL cells in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 20 patients infected with HBV were quantified by ELISPOT assays and flow cytometry using one HLA-A * 2402-HBV, 7 with acute HB and 13 with chronic HB, peptide tetrameric complex.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High frequencies of circulating HBcAg-specific CTL cells were detected in most individuals with acute HBV infection while the number of these cells was significantly reduced at the convalescent stage. HBcAg-specific CTL cells were not detected in the PBMC from individuals with chronic HBV infection except for one patient with an acute infection exacerbation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HBcAg-specific CTL cells may play a crucial role in complete clearance of HBV from patients with acute HBV hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Biological Therapy, PLA 302nd Hospital, Beijing 100039, China.
authors.forename: Zhen-ping
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Fu-sheng
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dong-Ping
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Fu-liang
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ling-xia
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015234:HLA-A Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D015234:HLA-A Antigens; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens