T-lymphocytes and hepatitis B serology.

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Virology
• Hepatology

Background:

• Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection impacts immune function.
• Peripheral blood lymphocyte response to mitogens like phytohemagglutinin (PHA) is a key immune indicator.
• E-rosette formation by T-lymphocytes is another measure of immune status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between hepatitis B virus (HBV) serological markers and immune responses in prostitutes.
• To assess lymphocyte proliferation (14C-thymidine incorporation) and E-rosette formation in relation to HBV infection status.

Main Methods:

• Assessed 14C-thymidine incorporation in PHA-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes.
• Determined the proportion and absolute number of E-rosettes.
• Correlated these immune parameters with hepatitis B virus (HBV) serology (HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HBc) in 28 women.

Main Results:

• Women carrying hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) exhibited significantly lower 14C-thymidine incorporation compared to those positive only for anti-HBc or negative for all markers.
• No significant differences in E-rosette absolute number or percentage were observed across the studied groups.
• The presence of anti-HBc alone did not correlate with altered lymphocyte responsiveness to PHA.

Conclusions:

• Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) carriage is associated with impaired lymphocyte proliferation.
• Lymphocyte E-rosette formation is not significantly affected by HBV serological status in this cohort.
• Hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) positivity alone does not indicate a compromised lymphocyte response to PHA.