Immunoregulatory T Cell Subsets in Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection: The Influence of Homosexuality
- 1 November 1983
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wolters Kluwer Health in Hepatology
- Vol. 3 (6), 951-954
- https://doi.org/10.1002/hep.1840030612
Abstract
The purposes of this study were 2-fold: (i) To enumerate peripheral immunoregulatory T cell subsets in untreated patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and (ii) to examine the relationship between disturbances in the balance of lymphocyte subsets with liver disease and the presence of homosexuality. Circulating T lymphocyte subsets were evaluated by monoclonal antibodies to the following cell antigens: OKT3 (total T cells), OKT4 (helper/inducer T cells), and 0KT8 (suppressor/cytotoxic T cells). The following groups of subjects were examined: (i) 16 heterosexuals with HBV-associated chronic active hepatitis (CAHB); (ii) 10 heterosexual, healthy HBsAg carriers, and (iii) 16 male homosexuals with CAHB. Controls included 51 healthy heterosexuals and 12 healthy, noninfected male homosexuals. We were able to demonstrate that heterosexuals with CAHB had T4/T8 ratios which did not differ from those of noninfected heterosexuals. Both healthy carriers and healthy homosexuals, however, exhibited significantly lower T4/T8 ratios than did noninfected heterosexuals (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, respectively). In addition, homosexuals with CAHB had lower (1.5 ± 0.1) T4/T8 ratios than did heterosexuals with CAHB (2.0 ± 0.2). A possible mechanism for these findings is discussed. The data indicate that the presence of homosexuality may be an important factor to consider when evaluating immunoregulatory subsets in CAHB.This publication has 15 references indexed in Scilit:
- T-Lymphocyte Subpopulations in Homosexual MenNew England Journal of Medicine, 1982
- Immunologic abnormalities in homosexual men: Relationship to Kaposi's sarcomaAmerican Journal Of Medicine, 1982
- Regulatory T cell-subset imbalance in chronic active hepatitisJournal of Clinical Immunology, 1982
- Inducer and Suppressor T–Cells in Hepatitis B Virus–Induced Liver DiseaseHepatology, 1982
- T cell subsets in patients with acute and chronic HBV infection, primary biliary cirrhosis and alcohol induced liver diseaseInternational Journal of Immunopharmacology, 1981
- Imbalance in T cell subsets in human diseasesInternational Journal of Immunopharmacology, 1981
- Opportunistic Infections and Kaposi's Sarcoma in Homosexual MenNew England Journal of Medicine, 1981
- Use of Monoclonal Antibodies to T-Cell Subsets for Immunologic Monitoring and Treatment in Recipients of Renal AllograftsNew England Journal of Medicine, 1981
- Prevalence of Cytomegalovirus Infection in Homosexual MenThe Journal of Infectious Diseases, 1981
- Simple and rapid measurement of human T lymphocytes and their subclasses in peripheral blood.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1980