LYMPHOCYTE CYTOTOXICITY AGAINST HBsAg-COATED HEPATOCYTES IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS

II. Effects of Treatment of Target Cells with Anti-HBs Antibody

Abstract

Chang liver cells were coated with purified HBsAg using bisdiazotized benzidine reagents and cytotoxic activity of peripheral blood lymphocyes from patients with chronic hepatitis and healthy subjects against HBsAg-coated Chang cells was studied before and after treatment of HBsAg-coated targed cells with rabbit anti-HBs antibody.
Significant T-cell mediated cytotoxicity against HBsAg-coated Chang cells observed in patients with chronic hepatitis was significantly blocked after anti-HBs antibody treatment, indicating that cytotoxic reactions of T-cells were directed against HBsAg on the target cells.
Non T-cell cytotoxicity against HBsAg-coated hepatocytes in patients with chronic hepatitis was unchanged before and after treatment with anti-HBs antibody, whereas those of healthy subjects were significantly increased after treatment with anti-HBs antibody. Augumentation of non-T cell cytotoxicity after anti-HBs antibody treatment in healthy subjects was blocked by aggreagated human IgG, indicating that enhanced cytotoxic reactions were mediated by Fc-receptor positive lymhocytes. As a mechanism of the cytotoxicity was seemed to be an Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Failure of enhancement of non T-cell cytotoxicity after anti-HBs antibody treatment in patients with chronic hepatitis is considered to be the results of decreased K-cell activity in chronic hepatitis as we reported perviously.