Effect of Pre-S1 antigen on human lymphocyte proliferative responses

• Published in: Immunology letters Vol. 48; no. 2; pp. 133 - 138
• Main Authors: Sułowska, Z., Dworniak, D., Tchórzewski, H., Zeman, K., Sidorkiewicz, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.12.1995
• Subjects: Adult; Antibodies, Monoclonal - pharmacology; Female; Flow Cytometry; Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg); Hepatitis B Surface Antigens - pharmacology; hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B virus (HBV); Humans; Lymphocyte Activation - drug effects; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; Lymphocyte subsets; Male; Middle Aged; Mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR); Phytohemagglutinin (PHA); Phytohemagglutinins - pharmacology; Protein Precursors - pharmacology; T-Lymphocytes - drug effects; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Viral Envelope Proteins - immunology; Viral Envelope Proteins - pharmacology; Phytohemagglutinin (PHA); Mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR); Lymphocyte subsets; Hepatitis B virus (HBV); Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)
• ISSN: 0165-2478; 1879-0542
• DOI: 10.1016/0165-2478(95)02457-3

The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients acutely infected with HBV and recovered completely ( n = 20), patients with chronic hepatitis B infection- (CHB) ( n = 10) and HBsAg-positive carriers ( n = 9) and healthy individuals ( n = 8) were studied for their in vitro proliferative response to a synthetic Pre-S1((20–49)×4 antigen. PBMCs from convalescents showed significant proliferative response in the presence of synthetic Pre-S1 antigen. PBMCs from CHB- and HBsAg-positive exhibited reduced proliferative response not only to Pre-S1 antigen but also to nonspecific mitogens. This study suggests that the immune recognition of Pre-S1 antigen and response of PBMCs to the Pre-S1 antigen may be an important part of the normal human response to HBV infection. Failure to clear the HBV infection with development of the chronic carrier state may be caused by the lack of an efficient Pre-S1 antigen-specific response.