Skip to main content
PMC home page
Clinical and Experimental Immunology logoLink to Clinical and Experimental Immunology
. 1985 Nov;62(2):288–295.

Detection of cellular and humoral immunity to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in asymptomatic HBsAg carriers.

S P Sylvan, U B Hellström, P R Lundbergh
PMCID: PMC1577451  PMID: 3878745

Abstract

Cell mediated and humoral immunity to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was studied in nine asymptomatic HBsAg carriers, nine patients with natural acquired immunity to HB infection and nine HB-susceptible donors. Peripheral T and B lymphocytes from all asymptomatic HBsAg carriers and all HB-immune donors studied were specifically induced into proliferation and anti-HBs secretion when stimulated with low doses of HBsAg (2-30 ng antigen protein/ml) in vitro. This activation was achieved by mixing purified B and/or T cells with optimal concentrations of autologous monocytic cells. T and B cells from the HB-susceptible donors were non-responsive under identical culture conditions. These data do neither substantiate the existence of a qualitative defect in T cell function, nor the absence of circulatory B cells capable of synthesizing anti-HBs in vitro in asymptomatic HBsAg carriers. Thus, the inability to mount a satisfactory antibody response to HBsAg in vivo might be a consequence of altered immune responsiveness to this antigen, which may be a relevant factor in the pathogenesis of asymptomatic HBsAg carriership.

Full text

PDF
288

Selected References

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

  1. Anh-Tuan N., Novák E. Hepatitis B surface antigen circulating immune complexes (HBsAg-CICs) in patients with hepatitis B and asymptomatic HBsAg carriers. Clin Exp Immunol. 1981 Feb;43(2):246–253. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. 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]
  3. Einarsson M., Kaplan L., Pertoft H. A two-step procedure for the purificaton of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Vox Sang. 1981;41(2):91–97. doi: 10.1111/j.1423-0410.1981.tb01020.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Einarsson M., Kaplan L., Utter G. Purification of hepatitis B surface antigen by affinity chromatography. Vox Sang. 1978;35(4):224–233. doi: 10.1111/j.1423-0410.1978.tb02926.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Engvall E., Perlmann P. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Elisa. 3. Quantitation of specific antibodies by enzyme-labeled anti-immunoglobulin in antigen-coated tubes. J Immunol. 1972 Jul;109(1):129–135. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fauci A. S. Human B lymphocyte function: cell triggering and immunoregulation. J Infect Dis. 1982 May;145(5):602–612. doi: 10.1093/infdis/145.2.602. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gerber M. J., Phuangsab A., Vittal S. B., Dourdourekas D., Steigmann F., Clowdus B. F. Cell-mediated immune response to hepatitis B antigen in patients with liver disease. Am J Dig Dis. 1974 Jul;19(7):637–643. doi: 10.1007/BF01073019. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hanson R. G., Hoofnagle J. H., Minuk G. Y., Purcell R. H., Gerin J. L. Cell-mediated immunity to hepatitis B surface antigen in man. Clin Exp Immunol. 1984 Aug;57(2):257–264. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hellström U., Sylvan S., Lundbergh P. Regulatory functions of T- and accessory-cells for hepatitis B surface antigen induced specific antibody production and proliferation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes, in vitro. J Clin Lab Immunol. 1985 Apr;16(4):173–181. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Kennedy R. C., Dreesman G. R. Enhancement of the immune response to hepatitis B surface antigen. In vivo administration of antiidiotype induces anti-HBs that expresses a similar idiotype. J Exp Med. 1984 Mar 1;159(3):655–665. doi: 10.1084/jem.159.3.655. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Laiwah A. A., Chaudhuri A. K., Anderson J. R. Lymphocyte transformation and leucocyte migration-inhibition by Australia antigen. Clin Exp Immunol. 1973 Sep;15(1):27–34. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Laiwah A. A. Lymphocyte transformation by Australia antigen. Lancet. 1971 Aug 28;2(7722):470–471. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(71)92633-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lehtinen T., Perlmann P., Hellström U., Hammarström S. Proliferative and cytolytic reactivities of human lymphocytes fractionated on wheat germ agglutinin-Sepharose columns before or after alloactivation in mixed lymphocyte culture. Scand J Immunol. 1980;12(4):309–320. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1980.tb00072.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Levo Y., Shouval D., Tur-Kaspa R., Wollner S., Penchas S., Zlotnick A., Eliakim M. Immunological evaluation of asymptomatic carriers of hepatitis B virus. Clin Exp Immunol. 1981 Apr;44(1):63–67. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Palla M., Rizzi R., Toti M., Almi P., Rizzetto M., Bonino F., Purcell R. Complexes of hepatitis B surface antigen and immunoglobulin M in the sera of patients with hepatitis B virus infection. Infect Immun. 1983 Sep;41(3):950–958. doi: 10.1128/iai.41.3.950-958.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Perlmann H., Perlmann P., Pape G. R., Halldén G. Purification, fractionation and assay of antibody-dependent lymphocytic effector cells (K cells) in human blood. Scand J Immunol. 1976 Jun;Suppl 5:57–68. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3083.1976.tb03856.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Ritz J., Pesando J. M., Notis-McConarty J., Schlossman S. F. Modulation of human acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen induced by monoclonal antibody in vitro. J Immunol. 1980 Oct;125(4):1506–1514. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Setcavage T. M., Kim Y. B. Inhibition of the immune response by Fc receptor-bound specific antibody on T lymphocytes. J Immunol. 1980 Feb;124(2):553–556. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Tiku M. L., Beutner K. R., Ogra P. L. Immunological aspects of cryoprecipitates from the sera of chronic HBsAg carriers. Clin Exp Immunol. 1979 Apr;36(1):54–62. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Tiku M. L., Beutner K. R., Tiku K., Ogra P. L. Cell-mediated immune response to liver tissue antigen and hepatitis B surface antigen after infection with hepatitis B virus in humans. J Infect Dis. 1978 Nov;138(5):587–596. doi: 10.1093/infdis/138.5.587. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. 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]
  22. Uhr J. W., Möller G. Regulatory effect of antibody on the immune response. Adv Immunol. 1968;8:81–127. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2776(08)60465-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES