Mc. Jung et al., INCREASED FREQUENCY OF CD8-LYMPHOCYTES IN ACUTE HEPATITIS-B VIRUS-INFECTION( CD45R0+ MEMORY T), Journal of hepatology, 18(3), 1993, pp. 295-300
CD8+ lymphocytes of the memory subset (= CD45R0+) encompass antigen-sp
ecific effector cells, which are believed to be decisive for virus eli
mination in several viral infections. To determine whether this can be
extended to HBV infection naive and memory T cells were studied among
CD4+- and CD8+-lymphocytes and used monoclonal antibodies in two-colo
r flow cytometric analysis to quantitate functional T cell subsets in
peripheral blood of patients with acute hepatitis B (n = 11), chronic
hepatitis B (n = 24) and healthy individuals (n = 26). Compared to CD4
+ populations of healthy individuals the number of total CD4+ lymphocy
tes in patients with both acute or chronic hepatitis was significantly
reduced. In contrast CD8+ cells did not significantly change in eithe
r acute and chronic hepatitis. Analysis of naive and memory subsets de
monstrated, however, a significant rise in CD45R0+ memory cells from 5
to 15% (70% of all CD8+cells) in acute hepatitis. These changes withi
n the CD8+ population were, however, restricted to the acute phase of
hepatitis in that the frequency of CD8+CD45R0+ decreased within weeks
post infection. Furthermore, patients with chronic hepatitis did exhib
it normal values of CD8+memory cells (30% of all CD8+cells). These fin
dings suggest that enrichment of CD8+CD45R0+ memory cells reflects an
accumulation of functional effector cells, which may be specifically a
ctivated by viral antigens and determine the outcome of infection.