CELL MEDIATED IMMUNE RESPONSE TO LIVER SPECIFIC ANTIGENS FOLLOWING HEPATITIS B VIRUS INFECTION IN MAN

Abstract

The in-vitro correlates of cell mediated immunity (CMI) against liver specific antigens (LSA) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HB_sAg) was studied in groups of subjects with acute or chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and in a population of uninfected healthy controls. The techniques of in-vitro lympho-proliferative responses (LTF) to HB_sAg, LSA, phytohemagglutinin (PHA) were employed in these studies. The LSA consisted of liver tissue extracts prepared from HBV seronegative autopsy materials. No LTF response to LSA and HB_sAg was observed in control population. All patients with acute HBV infection manifested significant LTF response to HB_sAg as well as to LSA. Peak responses were observed at the height of clinical disease. 50% of patients with chronic HB_sAg csrrier state elicited LTF response to HB_sAg. Majority of these subjects also exhibited LTF response to LSA. About 15% of HB_sAg carriers who failed to manifest CMI to HB_sAg showed significant LTF activity to LSA. Despite the differences in LTF responses to HB_sAg and LSA in different population groups, the response to PHA was generally similar although it appeared to be somewhat depressed in subjects with acute hepatitis. These observations suggest that the induction of cellular responses against native liver specific proteins may be the underlying mechanism of liver damage during acute HBV infection. It is possible that the persistence of specifically sensitized clones of T-lymphocytes may lead to establishment of chronic liver disease.

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