Journal of Clinical Immunology, Vol. 12, No. 5, 1992

Effects of Alpha-Interferon on Gamma-Interferon Production of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in Hepatitis B Virus Carriers KAZUHIRO KATAYAMA,I NORIO HAYASHI,I'2 TETUO TAKEHARA,I TAKAHIRO TOWATA, 1 AKINORI KASAHARA, 1 HIDEYUKI FUSAMOTO, 1 and TAKENOBU KAMADA l

Accepted: April 22, 1992

ons (IFNs) which have antiviral, antiproliferative, and immunoregulatory properties (5). Gamma-IFN is produced during an immune response by activated T cells and can stimulate the recognition process of the immune system by enhancing the HLA display on HBV-infected hepatocytes (6, 7). Based on these findings, some investigators have reported that clearance of HBV-infected hepatocytes may be closely associated with gamma-IFN production (7, 8). AIpha-IFN has both direct antiviral and immunomodulatory activities and is considered to be an important regulator of the local immune response in the liver in patients with type B hepatitis (9-11). Administration of alpha-IFN is also effective in promoting clearance of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) and HBV-DNA in chronic HBV carders (12-16), but it is not always effective, and the importance of immunological factors determining the outcome has been suggested (16). However, the mechanism of action of alpha-IFN in patients who respond to this therapy is currently unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether alpha-IFN could modulate the gamma-IFN production of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in patients with type B hepatitis. We found that, in HBV carriers, the responsiveness of PBMCs to alpha-IFN was closely related to the activity of liver disease.

We studied gamma-interferonproduction of phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells in response to alpha-interferon in hepatitis B virus carriers and healthy individuals. The magnitude of gammainterferon production was significantly higher in patients with anti-HBe antibody than in patients with HBe antigen and healthy individuals. Furthermore, alpha-interferon augmented the production of gamma-interferonof peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with active liver injury [serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), >40 U/L], but not that from patients with inactive liver injury (serum ALT,

Effects of alpha-interferon on gamma-interferon production of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in hepatitis B virus carriers.

We studied gamma-interferon production of phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells in response to alpha-interferon in hepatiti...
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