CELL-MEDIATED-IMMUNITY TO HEPATITIS-B SURFACE-ANTIGEN IN MAN

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 57  (2) , 257-264
Abstract
An aqueous preparation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccine was used as an intradermal skin test antigen to assess delayed hypersensitivity to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Thirty-five persons were tested including 10 individuals seronegative for all HBV markers, 10 positive for HBsAg (chronic carriers) and 15 positive for antibody to HBsAg (anti-HBs), 5 of whom had received the HBV vaccine. All patients were also studied for lymphocyte blatogenic responses to phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, pokeweed mitogen and purified HBsAg. Only 1 individual had a positive delayed skin test reaction to HBsAG. This person had received the HBV vaccine and had high titers of anti-HBs in serum. However, neither this individual nor any other subject exhibited a positive lymphocyte blastogenic response to HBsAG in vitro. Thus, delayed hypersensitivity skin test reactivity to HBsAg was not detected after natural infection with HBV and was rarely present in hyperimmunized individuals. In vitro assays of immune responsiveness failed to demonstrate cellular immunity to HBsAg even in hyperimmunized persons. No evidence was provided that cell-mediated immunity to HBsAg plays a role in the immunopathogenesis of acute or chronic type B hepatitis.