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"Liver-on-a-Chip" Cultures of Primary Hepatocytes and Kupffer Cells for Hepatitis B Virus Infection
Published on: February 19, 2019
Functional analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes isolated from patients with chronic hepatitis type B
C García-Monzón1, R Moreno-Otero, L García-Buey
1Liver Unit, Hospital de la Princesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain.
Insights
Peripheral T cells in chronic hepatitis B patients are functionally competent. Studies show these cells express activation antigens and proliferate normally in vitro, challenging previous assumptions of immune defects.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Hepatology
- Virology
Background:
- Cell-mediated immunity may be impaired in chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers.
- Previous studies reported defective lymphocyte proliferation and interleukin-2 receptor expression in response to mitogens.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the functional state of T cells in chronic HBV carriers.
- To analyze lymphoid activation molecule expression and proliferative responses in vitro.
Main Methods:
- Peripheral blood lymphocytes from chronic HBV patients were stimulated in vitro.
- Stimulation utilized monoclonal antibodies targeting the T-cell receptor-CD3 complex and CD2 molecule.
- Expression of activation antigens (4F2, interleukin-2 receptor, AIM) and lymphocyte proliferation were assessed.
Main Results:
- T lymphocytes from chronic HBV patients expressed activation antigens: 4F2 molecule, interleukin-2 receptor, and activation inducer molecule (AIM).
- These T cells demonstrated normal proliferation following stimulation via T-cell receptor-CD3 or CD2 pathways.
- Peripheral blood T cells from chronic HBV patients were found to be fully operative in vitro.
Conclusions:
- Peripheral blood T cells in chronic hepatitis B patients are functionally competent.
- The findings suggest that T cell-mediated immunity is not definitively defective in chronic HBV infection.
- This study provides evidence for the functional integrity of T cells in the context of chronic HBV.
Abstract:
Cell-mediated immunity, evaluated by lymphocyte proliferation and expression of the activation antigen interleukin-2 receptor in response to mitogens such as phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin-A, has been reported to be defective in chronic hepatitis B virus carriers. However, no definite conclusion on the functional state of T cells from these patients can be drawn. In the present study, we have investigated the expression of a wide set of lymphoid activation molecules as well as the proliferative response of peripheral blood lymphocytes isolated from patients with chronic hepatitis type B after in vitro stimulation with monoclonal antibodies to both the T-cell receptor-CD3 complex and the CD2 molecule, which are the two main T-cell activation pathways. Our findings show that peripheral T lymphocytes from patients with chronic hepatitis type B express the activation antigens 4F2 molecule, interleukin-2 receptor, and activation inducer molecule (AIM) antigen, and proliferate normally after specific stimulation through either the T-cell receptor-CD3 complex or the CD2 molecule. These results suggest that the peripheral blood T cells of patients with chronic hepatitis B are fully operative and functionally competent in vitro.
