FLOW-CYTOMETRY CD4+ CD8+ RATIO OF LIVER-DERIVED LYMPHOCYTES CORRELATES WITH VIRAL REPLICATION IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS-B/

T lymphocytes have been assumed to play an essential role in tissue in jury in patients with chronic hepatitis B. As hepatitis B virus (HBV) is considered as a major factor controlling liver inflammation, we ass essed whether a particular T lymphocyte subset could be preferentially detected in the liver in accordance with viral replication. Liver-der ived lymphocytes and peripheral blood lymphocytes were analysed by flo w cytometry in 21 patients with histologically confirmed chronic hepat itis B without cirrhosis. Viral replication was quantified by hybridiz ation of serum HBV DNA. Eleven patients exhibited an active viral repl ication with serum HBV DNA ranging from 10 to 388 pg/ml at the time of the liver biopsy, whereas 10 patients had no detectable serum HBV DNA . In patients exhibiting viral replication, CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratios of li ver-derived lymphocytes were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than thos e obtained in patients without viral replication. In contrast, the per centage of T cells expressing the gamma/delta receptor and that of CD2 (+)/CD57(+) cells were similar in both groups of patients. Furthermore , in patients exhibiting viral replication, CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratios of li ver-derived lymphocytes correlated with serum HBV DNA levels (P < 0.00 1). No relationship between CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio of liver-derived and p eripheral blood lymphocytes was observed. Our data indicate that, in p atients with chronic hepatitis B, the CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio of liver-der ived lymphocytes correlates with viral replication. This suggests that in situ helper/inducer CD4(+) T lymphocytes may positively regulate t he cytoxic T cell activity in patients with HBV-related chronic hepati tis.