Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Clinical and Experimental Immunology logoLink to Clinical and Experimental Immunology
. 1985 May;60(2):259–266.

Immunoregulation of the in vitro anti-HBs antibody synthesis in chronic HBsAg carriers and in recently boosted anti-hepatitis B vaccine recipients.

V Barnaba, G Valesini, M Levrero, C Zaccari, A Van Dyke, M Falco, A Musca, F Balsano
PMCID: PMC1577043  PMID: 3874020

Abstract

We report a study on immunoregulation of in vitro antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) synthesis induced by pokeweed mitogen (PWM) from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in chronic hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers and in 'high responders', (anti-HBs RIA ratio greater than or equal to 20 in serum), recently boosted with anti-hepatitis B vaccine. Anti-HBs was detected in 11 days PBMC supernatants (SN) from 24 out of 36 'high responders', but in none from 31 chronic HBsAg carriers, despite detectable amounts of polyclonal IgG and antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) were produced. The lack of anti-HBs production by chronic HBsAg carriers did not seem to be determined by suppressor influences because T lymphocytes from the majority of chronic HBsAg carriers, co-cultured with 'high responders' PBMC did not suppress anti-HBs production. Co-cultures between HBsAg carriers T4 positive (helper/inducer) cells and allogenic 'high responder' non-T cells produced anti-HBs antibody, indicating that HBsAg carrier T cells are not deficient in this allogenic helper function under PWM stimulation. Allogenic cocultures between HBsAg carrier non-T cells and 'high responder' T4 positive cells failed in anti-HBs production: a specific B lymphocyte defect might be involved in the lacking anti-HBs synthesis in chronic HBV patients. Antigen-induced specific anti-HBs synthesis experiments indicate that B cells themselves seem to be the target for HBsAg-induced suppression of anti-HBs antibody response.

Full text

PDF
259

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alexander G. J., Nouri-Aria K. T., Eddleston A. L., Williams R. Contrasting relations between suppressor-cell function and suppressor-cell number in chronic liver disease. Lancet. 1983 Jun 11;1(8337):1291–1293. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(83)92410-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Barnaba V., Musca A., Cordova C., Levrero M., Ruocco G., Albertini-Petroni V., Balsano F. Relationship between T cell subsets and suppressor cell activity in chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Clin Exp Immunol. 1983 Aug;53(2):281–288. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Brenner M. K., Newton C. A., North M. E., Weyman C., Farrant J. The interaction of specific T-cell help and non-specific B-cell growth factors in the production of anti-tetanus antibody by human B cells grown in serum-free microcultures. Immunology. 1983 Nov;50(3):377–385. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Celis E., Kung P. C., Chang T. W. Hepatitis B virus-reactive human T lymphocyte clones: antigen specificity and helper function for antibody synthesis. J Immunol. 1984 Mar;132(3):1511–1516. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chisari F. V., Castle K. L., Xavier C., Anderson D. S. Functional properties of lymphocyte subpopulations in hepatitis B virus infection. I. Suppressor cell control of T lymphocyte responsiveness. J Immunol. 1981 Jan;126(1):38–44. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dusheiko G. M., Hoofnagle J. H., Cooksley W. G., James S. P., Jones E. A. Synthesis of antibodies to hepatitis B virus by cultured lymphocytes from chronic hepatitis B surface antigen carriers. J Clin Invest. 1983 May;71(5):1104–1113. doi: 10.1172/JCI110860. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fattovich G., Alberti A., Crivellaro C., Pontisso P., Noventa F., Realdi G. Cellular immunity to the hepatitis B virion in acute hepatitis type B. Clin Exp Immunol. 1983 Sep;53(3):645–650. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fauci A. S., Pratt K. R. Activation of human B lymphocytes. I. Direct plaque-forming cell assay for the measurement of polyclonal activation and antigenic stimulation of human B lymphocytes. J Exp Med. 1976 Sep 1;144(3):674–684. doi: 10.1084/jem.144.3.674. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Janossy G., Greaves M. Functional analysis of murine and human B lymphocyte subsets. Transplant Rev. 1975;24:177–236. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-065x.1975.tb00169.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kakumu S., Yata K., Kashio T. Immunoregulatory T-cell function in acute and chronic liver disease. Gastroenterology. 1980 Oct;79(4):613–619. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Keightley R. G., Cooper M. D., Lawton A. R. The T cell dependence of B cell differentiation induced by pokeweed mitogen. J Immunol. 1976 Nov;117(5 Pt 1):1538–1544. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kerlin P., Nies K. M., Tong M. J. Unimpaired B-cell function and T-cell regulation of immunoglobulin synthesis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Clin Immunol Immunopathol. 1982 Nov;25(2):149–156. doi: 10.1016/0090-1229(82)90177-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lemm G., Salzer K., Warnatz H. Studies on immunoregulatory mechanisms in acute and chronic hepatitis B. Clin Exp Immunol. 1983 May;52(2):250–258. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Milich D. R., Chisari F. V. Genetic regulation of the immune response to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). I. H-2 restriction of the murine humoral immune response to the a and d determinants of HBsAg. J Immunol. 1982 Jul;129(1):320–325. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Mogensen C. E. The glomerular permeability determined by dextran clearance using Sephadex gel filtration. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 1968;21(1):77–82. doi: 10.3109/00365516809076979. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Peters M., Fauci A. S. Selective activation of antigen-specific human B cells in recently immunized individuals by nonspecific factors in the absence of antigen. J Immunol. 1983 Feb;130(2):678–680. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Stevens R. H. Immunoglobulin-bearing cells are a target for the antigen-induced inhibition of pokeweed mitogen-stimulated antibody production. J Immunol. 1981 Sep;127(3):968–972. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Stevens R. H., Macy E., Morrow C., Saxon A. Characterization of a circulating subpopulation of spontaneous antitetanus toxoid antibody producing B cells following in vivo booster immunization. J Immunol. 1979 Jun;122(6):2498–2504. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Stevens R. H., Saxon A. Immunoregulation in humans: control of antitetanus toxoid antibody production after booster immunization. J Clin Invest. 1978 Dec;62(6):1154–1160. doi: 10.1172/JCI109234. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Tong M. J., Wallace A. M., Peters R. L., Reynolds T. B. Lymphocyte stimulation in hepatitis B infections. N Engl J Med. 1975 Aug 14;293(7):318–322. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197508142930702. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Wysocki L. J., Sato V. L. "Panning" for lymphocytes: a method for cell selection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1978 Jun;75(6):2844–2848. doi: 10.1073/pnas.75.6.2844. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Yarchoan R., Nelson D. L. A study of the functional capabilities of human neonatal lymphocytes for in vitro specific antibody production. J Immunol. 1983 Sep;131(3):1222–1228. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Clinical and Experimental Immunology are provided here courtesy of British Society for Immunology

RESOURCES