Detection of HBcAg-specific cytotoxic lymphocytes and their association with clinical status in patients with hepatitis B
Fan, Z-ping.; Wang, F-sheng.; Xu, D-Ping.; Chu, F-liang.; Shi, M.; Zhou, Y.; Zhang, L-xia.
Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi 84(24): 2073-2076
2004
ISSN/ISBN: 0376-2491 PMID: 15730619 Document Number: 574190
To investigate the difference of host immune response specific to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections between acute self-limited and chronic persistent hepatitis by quantitative analysis of HLA-A * 2402-restricted HBcAg-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte cells (CTL) cells. The frequency of HBV-specific CTL cells in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 20 patients infected with HBV were quantified by ELISPOT assays and flow cytometry using one HLA-A * 2402-HBV, 7 with acute HB and 13 with chronic HB, peptide tetrameric complex. High frequencies of circulating HBcAg-specific CTL cells were detected in most individuals with acute HBV infection while the number of these cells was significantly reduced at the convalescent stage. HBcAg-specific CTL cells were not detected in the PBMC from individuals with chronic HBV infection except for one patient with an acute infection exacerbation. HBcAg-specific CTL cells may play a crucial role in complete clearance of HBV from patients with acute HBV hepatitis.