J Korean Soc Microbiol.  1997 Dec;32(6):667-674.

Production of IFN-gamma by HBsAg - reactive T cells correlates with viral clearance in HBV infection

• Youn JK
• Lee M
• Lee SK
• Park S
• Cho SW
• Kim HI

Abstract

The T cell responses to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were analyzed in acute hepatitis patients, chronic active hepatitis (CAH) patients and asymptomatic carriers. Neither proliferative responses nor substantial cytokine production of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in response to HBsAg was detected. For further studies, HBsAg- reactive T cell lines were prepared from PBMC of the hepatitis patients and asymptomatic carriers. No proliferative response of the T cell lines was observed. Interestingly, however, T cell lines obtained from acute hepatitis patients were found to produce IFN-r, but not IL- 4, in response to HBsAg stimulation, whereas T cell lines obtained from CAH patients and carriers were not. Results of this study suggest that HBsAg-reactive T cells producing Thl type cytokines may play an important role in the viral clearance during acute infections, while defects in those T cells may be responsible for the viral persistency.

MeSH Terms

Cell Line
Cytokines
Hepatitis
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens*
Hepatitis, Chronic
Humans
T-Lymphocytes*
Cytokines
Hepatitis B Surface Antigens