Immunologic mechanisms in hepatitis B assayed by antigen binding lymphocytes

Abstract

Immune mechanisms in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection were investigated in 16 persons with and without hepatitis using tests for HB(s) Ag, anti HB(s), anti HB(c) and 125I labeled HB(s) Ag binding lymphocytes (ABL) in peripheral blood. Anti HB(c), which is an evidence of a recent or current HBV infection, was detected in all HB(s) Ag positive sera. High counts of ABL correlated with the presence of anti HB(s) in serum but not with anti HB(c) or with HB(s) Ag. In patients with chronic hepatitis, and in asymptomatic carriers of HB(s) Ag, there was a trend towards low counts of ABL, which may represent partial tolerance to HB(s) Ag in carriers of this particle.