STUDIES ON IMMUNOREGULATORY MECHANISMS IN ACUTE AND CHRONIC HEPATITIS-B

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 52  (2) , 250-258
Abstract
Patients with acute hepatitis B and hepatitis B virus induced chronic hepatitis and normal controls participated in the study. Hepatitis patients of both groups had decreased OKT4+/OKT8+ T cell ratios due to an increase of OKT8+ T cells in peripheral blood compared to controls. Lymphocyte cultures of chronic hepatitis patients showed reduced DNA synthesis after stimulation by allogeneic non-T cells, phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A [Con A] and pokeweed mitogen [PWM]. PWM-induced secretion by B cells, determined by a reverse hemolytic phaque assay and solid phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed comparable results in hepatitis B patients and controls. The autologous mixed, lymphocyte reaction, is thought to reflect an autologous immunoregulatory phenomenon, was slightly impaired in cultures of hepatitis B patients compared to controls. Con A-induced suppressor cell activity on T cell reactions was decreased in hepatitis; suppressor cell activity on B cell activation was within the same range as in cultures of controls. Thus, suppressor cell activity on T cell function is impaired in hepatitis B; B cell functions and suppressor cell activity on B cell function are in the normal range. The results with the functional assays and the finding of increased proportions of OKT8+ T cells in hepatitis B are considered to reflect properties of different T cell subpopulations responsible for different immunoregulatory functions.