characterized by destruction of the intrahepatic bile ducts and the presence of anti-mitochondrial antibodies directed mainly against the E2-component of the pyruvate dehydrogenese complex (PDC-E2). We studied peripheral blood T-cell responses of 19 asymptomatic (a) PBC and 18 controls (8; chronic liver diseases, 10; healthy control) to recombinant (r) PDC-E2. Ten of 19 a-patients (53%) were positive for T-cell response to r-PDC-E2 but not controls. There was no difference in clinical features, including age and gender, laboratory data or histological findings except for antibodies to PDC-E2 (anti-M2) between 10 patients positive for T-cell response to PDC-E2 and 9 patients negative for those response. Importantly, an inverse relation between T-cell response to PDC-E2 and serum titers of anti-M2. High T-cell responses were found in patients with low titers of anti-M2, conversely high titer of anti-M2 were associated with low T-cell responses to PDC-E2. PBC seems to be Thl-dependent autoimmune disease. Further study is needed to know whether Th2 activated cells prevent Thl-dependent a-PBC.
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