Cell mediated immunity to a liver specific membrane protein (LP 1) has been studied in patients with different types of liver diseases, using the leucocyte migration inhibition test. A high frequency of cellular sensitization of LP 1 was detected in untreated chronic active hepatitis, with no significant difference between HBsAg positive and negative cases. Inhibition of migration is a long lasting reaction in the spontaneous evolution of the disease, while immunosuppressive treatment normalizes the test only in cases with complete remission. In viral hepatitis B cell mediated immunity to the liver specific membrane protein can be detected in the acute phase of the disease as a time limited reaction, exhausted with the clearance of the virus from the liver. An inhibition of migration with LP 1 was found also in some cases of HBsAg positive post hepatitis patients, in chronic persistent hepatitis, mainly HBsAg positive, and in asymptomatic chronic carriers of the antigen B. Most of these cases showed a progression to chronic active hepatitis, in clinical and histopathological prospective studies. The results suggest that cell mediated immune response to liver specific antigens plays a major role in the pathogenesis of chronic active hepatitis. Moreover the evaluation of these reactions in chronic liver diseases may help in the diagnosis and in the control of the immunosuppressive therapy. Hepatitis B virus infection must be considered one of the possible causes responsible for the rising of autoimmunity to the liver.
Liver specific proteins and autoimmunity in the inflammatory liver diseases
ALBERTI, ALFREDO;BORTOLOTTI, FLAVIA;
1976
Abstract
Cell mediated immunity to a liver specific membrane protein (LP 1) has been studied in patients with different types of liver diseases, using the leucocyte migration inhibition test. A high frequency of cellular sensitization of LP 1 was detected in untreated chronic active hepatitis, with no significant difference between HBsAg positive and negative cases. Inhibition of migration is a long lasting reaction in the spontaneous evolution of the disease, while immunosuppressive treatment normalizes the test only in cases with complete remission. In viral hepatitis B cell mediated immunity to the liver specific membrane protein can be detected in the acute phase of the disease as a time limited reaction, exhausted with the clearance of the virus from the liver. An inhibition of migration with LP 1 was found also in some cases of HBsAg positive post hepatitis patients, in chronic persistent hepatitis, mainly HBsAg positive, and in asymptomatic chronic carriers of the antigen B. Most of these cases showed a progression to chronic active hepatitis, in clinical and histopathological prospective studies. The results suggest that cell mediated immune response to liver specific antigens plays a major role in the pathogenesis of chronic active hepatitis. Moreover the evaluation of these reactions in chronic liver diseases may help in the diagnosis and in the control of the immunosuppressive therapy. Hepatitis B virus infection must be considered one of the possible causes responsible for the rising of autoimmunity to the liver.
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