Dual color fluorescence analysis of peripheral T cell subsets in hepatitis B virus-induced liver disease

By using dual color fluorescence analysis, peripheral T cells can be divided into four different subsets, Leu-2a+15+, Leu-2a+15-, Leu-3a+8+ and Leu-3a+8- cells. The ratio of these T cell subsets in hepatitis B virus-induced hepatitis patients was studied and compared with that of controls. No significant difference was found in acute hepatitis and chronic hepatitis, but an elevation of Leu-2a+15- (29.5 +/- 2.8% vs. 18.8 +/- 4.1%, p less than 0.05) as well as a reduction of Leu-2a+15+ cells (3.2 +/- 0.7% vs. 10.4 +/- 3.2%, p less than 0.05) were found in fulminant hepatitis patients. In addition, serial studies of two fulminant hepatitis patients revealed that the imbalance of these two Leu-2a cells was only found in the acute phase, but not in the recovery phase. These results indicate that the imbalance of these two Leu-2a cells is associated with the clinical status of patients with fulminant hepatitis.