Effect of recombinant human transforming growth factor β1 on immune responses in patients with chronic hepatitis B

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Abstract
— Studies were undertaken to examine the effect of recombinant human transforming growth factor beta 1 (rTGF‐β1) on cellular and humoral immune responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with chronic hepatitis B. The addition of TGF‐β1 caused a significant dose‐dependent inhibition of hepatitis B (HB) core Ag‐stimulated interferon‐γ and antibody to HB core Ag production and proliferation of PBMC from chronic hepatitis patients and HB‐immune donors. TGF‐β1 also induced a significant reduction in pokeweed mitogen‐stimulated IgG and IgM production, as well as phytohemagglutinin p‐stimulated proliferative response of PBMC. The degree of inhibition of TGF‐β1 did not differ between antigen‐specific and ‐nonspecific cellular and humoral immune responses, and between control individuals and patients. Pretreatment study with TGF‐β1 showed that the activities of T cells, B cells and monocytes were similarly inhibited. Further, TGF‐β1 inhibited activities of HLA class I antigen‐matched cytotoxic T cells from patients with chronic hepatitis B for HBV DNA‐transfected HepG2 cells in a 51Cr release assay. The results suggest that TGF‐β1 may play a role in the regulation of antigen‐dependent and ‐independent immune responses in patients with chronic hepatitis B.