Ultrastructural localization of interferon-producing cells in the livers of patients with chronic hepatitis B

✍ Scribed by Hans P. Dienes; Georg Hess; Marita Wöorsdörfer; Siegbert Rossol; Harald Gallati; Giuliano Ramadori; Karl-Hermann Meyer Zum Büschenfelde

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1991
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 929 KB
• Volume: 13
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0270-9139
• DOI: 10.1002/hep.1840130219

✦ Synopsis

Cells expressing alpha- and gamma-interferon were localized in the liver tissue of patients with chronic hepatitis B by means of light and electron microscopy using monoclonal antibodies. Interferon-positive cells were regularly seen in the infiltrating mononuclear cells, and the number showed a good correlation with the degree of the necroinflammatory activity of the disease. In chronic persistent hepatitis and in normal livers, they were infrequent or virtually absent. alpha-Interferon was shown to be positive in lymphocytes, polymorphonuclear leukocytes and fibroblasts, Kupffer cells and, weakly, in the cytoplasm of a few hepatocytes in cases of active hepatitis, whereas gamma-interferon was demonstrated only in lymphocytes. The expression of human leukocyte class I antigens on hepatocytes showed a close association with the number of interferon-producing cells, but not with the presence of virus particles and HBcAg in liver cells, when studied using electron microscopy and double-labeling. Interferon seems to be an important regulator of the local immune response in the liver in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Its functions may play a role in inducing the human leukocyte class I antigen expression on hepatocytes, thus enhancing the elimination of virus-containing hepatocytes by major histocompatibility complex-restricted cytotoxic lymphocytes.