CELL-MEDIATED IMMUNE RESPONSE IN VIRAL HEPATITIS B

The authors have carried out a series of study, including the cell-mediated immunity to HBsAg and liver specific protein (LSP), lymphocyte subpopulation and rosette inhibitory factor among 113 cases of viral hepatitis B of various types. The cell-mediated immunity to HBsAg and LSP was more intense in acute and chronic active hepatitis, but less so in chronic persistent hepatitis and asymptomatic carriers. The cell-mediated immunity varied with antiHBs, and the higher the cell-mediated immunity to HBsAg, the lower the titer of serum HBsAg. The nonspecific T cell functions including E rosette lymphocyte count, positive rosette inhibitory factor (RIF) and delayed cutaneous reactivity varied inversely with the specific cell-mediated immunity and anti-HBs. The authors believe that type B hepatitis is a disease of immune network imbalance in which T cell defect must play the leading role. The defect of T cell function in chronic active hepatitis and fulminant hepatitis is predominantly due to RIF.