Chronic Active Viral Hepatitis Research Articles

Expression of vimentin (Vi) in monocytes (Mo) of patients with chronic active viral hepatitis (CAH)

Expression of vimentin (Vi) in monocytes (Mo) of patients with chronic active viral hepatitis (CAH)

Role of T cells subsets defined by various monoclonal antibodies (MAB) on the cytotoxic activity to autologous hepatocytes in viral chronic active hepatitis (CAH)

Role of T cells subsets defined by various monoclonal antibodies (MAB) on the cytotoxic activity to autologous hepatocytes in viral chronic active hepatitis (CAH)

Immunoregulatory T Subsets in Chronic Active Viral Hepatitis

Immunoregulatory T subsets, defined by monoclonal antibodies, were enumerated in children affected by HBsAg-positive chronic active hepatitis. The helper to suppressor/cytotoxic cells ratio was lower in patients than in age-matched controls. The lower ratio was mainly due to an increase of lymphocytes of the suppressor/cytotoxic phenotype. Helper cells were even fewer in severe chronic hepatitis patients, thereby lowering still further the helper/suppressor ratio. Therapy seemed to influence the ratio in patients affected by moderate active chronic hepatitis, for four of eight children treated with azathioprine and prednisone had a ratio within -1 SD of normal values. The increase of the suppressor/cytotoxic cells in patients affected by chronic hepatitis might be a means for limiting virus-induced cell hyperactivity.

Immunoregulatory T Subsets in Chronic Active Viral Hepatitis

Immunoregulatory T Subsets in Chronic Active Viral Hepatitis

Immunoregulatory T Subsets in Chronic Active Viral Hepatitis

SummaryImmunoregulatory T subsets, defined by monoclonal antibodies, were enumerated in children affected by HBsAg‐positive chronic active hepatitis. The helper to suppressor/cytotoxic cells ratio was lower in patients than in age‐matched controls. The lower ratio was mainly due to an increase of lymphocytes of the suppressor/cytotoxic phenotype. Helper cells were even fewer in severe chronic hepatitis patients, thereby lowering still further the helper/suppressor ratio. Therapy seemed to influence the ratio in patients affected by moderate active chronic hepatitis, for four of eight children treated with azathioprine and prednisone had a ratio within −1 SD of normal values. The increase of the suppressor/cytotoxic cells in patients affected by chronic hepatitis might be a means for limiting virus‐induced cell hyperactivity.

Effect of Corticosteroids on Suppressor-Cell Activity in Autoimmune and Viral Chronic Active Hepatitis

We detected a severe defect in concanavalin A-induced suppressor-cell activity in 22 patients with "autoimmune" chronic active hepatitis and in 26 patients with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive chronic active hepatitis, as compared with 20 control subjects (P less than 0.01). Normal values were observed in 21 patients with "autoimmune" hepatitis in whom a remission had been induced and maintained by treatment with prednisolone. When lymphocytes from patients with autoimmune chronic active hepatitis were preincubated with low-dose prednisolone in vitro, suppressor-cell activity was substantially improved (P less than 0.01), but no clear effect of prednisolone was seen in cells from patients with HBsAg-positive chronic active hepatitis. The loss of suppressor-cell activity in chronic active hepatitis may allow liver damage to continue, and the reversal of the defect in the autoimmune form of the disease by administration of low-dose prednisolone provides a plausible explanation for the efficacy of this treatment. The contrasting in vitro responses to prednisolone in autoimmune and HBsAg-positive chronic active hepatitis suggest that the fundamental nature of the suppressor-cell defect may be different in these two forms of the disease.

T and B Lymphocytes in Uremic Patients with Type B Hepatitis Infection

Peripheral T and B lymphocytes were measured in (1) hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive, (2) HBsAg-negative uremic patients on chronic hemodialysis (CHD) therapy, and (3) patients with type B chronic active viral hepatitis (CAVH). When compared to normals, a decrease in the absolute number of T and B lymphocytes was detected in both CHD groups. CAVH patients had a decrease in the total number of T lymphocytes. When expressed as percentage of T lymphocytes, normals and HBsAg-negative CHD patients had similar values, while a decrease was detected in both HBsAg-positive CHD and CAVH patients. Also, in the latter two groups, hepatitis B virus infection resulted in an increase in the total number and percentage of null cells.

Clinical, light and electron microscopic studies of acute and chronic active viral hepatitis.

Clinical, light and electron microscopic studies of acute and chronic active viral hepatitis.

Viral hepatitis: clinical aspects

In the majority of instances acute viral hepatitis resolves totally without sequelae. Fulminant hepatitis is a highly lethal lesion but 20 to 25 per cent of patients, principally young patients, survive. Survivors do not appear to develop chronic liver disease. Persistent viral hepatitis follows acute icteric hepatitis, both type B and non-B, in 10 to 12 per cent of patients. Six long-term HBs Ag carriers demonstrated HBs Ag clearance after 14-73 months. Chronic active viral hepatitis often progresses to cirrhosis. This progressive hepatitis appeared as a sequelae of acute icteric type B hepatitis in 3 per cent of 429 patients. In patients with chronic active type B hepatitis, low titers of HBs Ag are common.

Serologic investigations in narcotic addicts. 3. Latex fixation, C-reactive protein, "Monotest," serum proteins, and SH antigen.

A change in admissions policy in an addict treatment center decreased the syphilis serology rate by more than half (23% to 9%). There was no change in the reaction rates of addicts’ sera in the C-reactive protein or the Wampole “Monotest, ” but there was a decline in the rates of latex fixation reactions. The reaction rates of addicts' sera in these tests were much greater than those of control patients. These nonspecific reactions did not correlate with each other, nor did they appear related to serum hypergammaglobulinemia. Serum hepatitis antigen was detected in the blood of about 2% of anicteric addicts. Its presence was associated with neither the nonspecific reactions previously mentioned, nor the hypergammaglobulinemia. Thus, the hypergammaglobulinemia of addicts and the nonspecific serologic reactivity do not have a simple direct relationship with persistent chronic active viral hepatitis. The serologic activity of addicts’ sera is irregular; this makes interpretation of tests of sera from these patients extremely difficult.