Studies on immunoregulatory mechanisms in acute and chronic hepatitis B

Patients with acute hepatitis B and HBV-induced chronic hepatitis as well as normal control persons participated in the study. Hepatitis patients of both groups have decreased OKT4+/OKT8+T cell ratios due to an percental increase of OKT8+T cells in peripheral blood compared to the data of controls. Lymphocyte cultures of chronic hepatitis patients show reduced DNA synthesis after stimulation by allogeneic non-T cells, PHA, Con A and PWM. PWM-induced immunoglobulin secretion by B cells, determined by means of a reverse haemolytic plaque assay (RHPA) and a solid phase ELISA, showed comparable results in hepatitis B patients and controls. The AMLR, which is thought to reflect an autologous immunoregulatory phenomenon, is slightly impaired in cultures of hepatitis B patients in comparison to controls. Con A-induced suppressor cell activity on T cell reactions is decreased in hepatitis, whereas suppressor cell activity on B cell activation is within the same range as in cultures of controls. It is concluded from these data, that suppressor cell activity on T cell function is impaired in hepatitis B, whereas B cell functions and suppressor cell activity on B cell function are in the normal range. The results with the functional assays and the finding of increased proportions of OKT8+T cells in hepatitis B are considered to reflect properties of different T cell subpopulations, responsible for different immunoregulatory functions.