[Changes of antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes during acute flare-ups in chronic hepatitis B patients].
OBJECTIVE
To detect HBV antigen specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) changes in patients during acute flare-ups and to study their association with flare-ups and aggravations into grave hepatitis by quantitative analysis of HLA-A2* restricted HBcAg-specific CTL cells.


METHODS
The frequency of HBcAg-specific CTL cells in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 29 patients with persistent infection with HBV were quantified by flow cytometry using one HLA-A2*HBV peptide pentamers complex (Pro5TM MHC Pentamers).


RESULTS
There was a statistical difference of HBcAg specific CTLs between the patients with acute exacerbations (1.4%+/-0.8%) and the patients with immune tolerance (0.6%+/-0.4%) (t = 2.180, P = 0.01-0.05); There was no significant difference between the grave hepatitis group (1.3%+/-1.0%) and the chronic hepatitis group (1.4%+/-0.8%) regarding frequencies of antigen specific CTL (t = 0.215, P = 0.833-0.05). The level of antigen specific CTLs in PBMC in the 6 cases of chronic hepatitis B with acute exacerbations maintained a relatively high level (more than 0.7%) within the 12 week follow-up period.


CONCLUSIONS
HBcAg-specific CTLs may play an important role in hepatic flare-ups in patients with chronic HBV infection, but there was no direct relationship between antigen- specific CTLs and grave hepatitis.
Deng
Hong
H
Department of Infectious Diseases, Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China. denghong2@163.net
Chong
Yu-Tian
YT
Han
Xiao-Yan
XY
Zhang
Fu-Cheng
FC
Peng
Xiao-Mou
XM
Gao
Zhi-Liang
ZL
Yao
Ji-Lu
JL
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D019562:Viral Load; D055815:Young Adult
D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens