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HBcAg induced T-cell independent anti-HBc production in chronic HBsAg carriers
S P Sylvan1, U B Hellström, G Fei
1Department of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska Inst, Roslagstull Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
The capacity of the nucleocapsid protein of HBV to function as a T-cell independent antigen in man was studied. When T-cell depleted B-cell cultures were challenged with E coli-derived HBcAg, anti-HBc production was registered in culture supernatants from the majority of chronic HBsAg carriers in a quiescent stage of disease. In contrast, similarly prepared and stimulated cultures from donors with natural acquired immunity to hepatitis B or HB-susceptible controls were non-responsive. Addition of autologous T-cells effectively restored anti-HBc responsiveness in T-cell depleted B-cell cultures from HB-immune donors, demonstrating the T-cell dependency for anti-HBc induction in natural HBV-infection.
The capacity of the nucleocapsid protein of HBV to function as a T-cell independent antigen in man was studied. When T-cell depleted B-cell cultures were challenged with E coli-derived HBcAg, anti-HBc production was registered in culture supernatants from the majority of chronic HBsAg carriers in a quiescent stage of disease. In contrast, similarly prepared and stimulated cultures from donors with natural acquired immunity to hepatitis B or HB-susceptible controls were non-responsive. Addition of autologous T-cells effectively restored anti-HBc responsiveness in T-cell depleted B-cell cultures from HB-immune donors, demonstrating the T-cell dependency for anti-HBc induction in natural HBV-infection.