HBV specific T-cell responses in hepatitis B.
BACKGROUND
Cellular immune responses seem to prevail in acute hepatitis, whereas chronically infected patients demonstrate generally suppressed cellular immune responses and significantly greater antibody responses.


OBJECTIVE
To study hepatitis B virus (HBV) specific T cell proliferative responses in HBV related liver diseases.


METHODS
We analyzed the T lymphocyte proliferative responses to the nonspecific mitogen phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and the HBV specific hepatitis B core antigen (HBcAg) by calculating T cell proliferation index in 10 acute viral hepatitis (AVH) patients, 19 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, 10 HBV cirrhotics, 10 inactive carriers and 10 healthy controls using MTT assay.


RESULTS
The mean proliferation index (PI) to PHA was highest in healthy controls (133.2 +/- 58.1) and lowest in cirrhotics (44.1 +/- 46.9) with all other groups falling in between. On comparing the mean T cell responses to HBcAg, AVH patients had the highest mean response (186.48 +/- 116.37) followed by CHB (137.9 +/- 134.3), inactive carriers (63.2 +/- 41.2) and cirrhotics (55.5 +/- 42.7).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with AVH had the highest T cell response to HBcAg, which probably explains the clearance of virus in these patients, in contrast to patients with cirrhosis who had the lowest T cell response.
Departments of Immunopathology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh - 160012, India.
Deepa
D
Rana
John
J
Menachery
Yogesh
Y
Chawla
Ajay
A
Duseja
Radha
R
Dhiman
Sunil
S
Arora
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000276:immunology*; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000276:immunology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens