Comparison of Cellular immunity in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B, Inactive Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Carriers and Spontaneously Recovered Individuals

Arslan F., MERT A., Sup U., Tabak F., Öztürk R., Ozaras R.

HEPATO-GASTROENTEROLOGY, vol.61, no.136, pp.2326-2329, 2014 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 61 Issue: 136
  • Publication Date: 2014
  • Doi Number: 10.5754/hge13891
  • Journal Name: HEPATO-GASTROENTEROLOGY
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
  • Page Numbers: pp.2326-2329
  • Keywords: Chronic hepatitis B, ELISPOT assay, Interferon gamma
  • Istanbul Medipol University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Different clinical outcomes of acute HBV infection have been partially explained by individual differences in immune response. In this study we investigated interferon gamma (IFN-y) secretion of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in vitro against specific (Hepatitis B core antigen; recombinant HB-cAg) and non-specific (CMV, EBV, Influenza peptide pool; CTL CEF peptide pool "plus") antigens using enzyme linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay in 7 patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB group), 8 inactive carriers of HBV (carrier group) and 8 subjects who spontaneously recovered from acute HBV infection as detected by anti-HBs positivity (immune group). Phytohemaglutinin served as the positive test control. Response against recombinant HBcAg was 88±135, 50+110, 105+150 spot forming cell (SFC)/105 PBMC, in CHB, carrier and immune groups, respectively. HBcAg-specific T-cell response was slightly higher in the immune group; however, statistically there was no significant difference between the groups. Assessment of cellular immunity by IFN-γ ELISPOT was not sufficient to explain the various outcomes of HBV infection such as resolution, chronicity and carriership.