Observation of T lymphocyte subsets in the liver of patients with advanced schistosomiasis and advanced schistosomiasis accompanied with hepatitis B.

T lymphocyte subsets in the liver were detected by Avidin-Biotin Complex (ABC) assay in 22 patients with advanced schistosomiasis (AS) and 5 cases of AS accompanied with hepatitis B. T lymphocytes in the liver of AS patients were distributed in the peripheral layer of egg granuloma or the area near eggs in non-granuloma. No infiltrative T lymphocytes were observed in area with extensive fibrosis. There was infiltration of many T cells in the portal tract, piecemeal and focal necrosis area as well as in hepatic sinus in AS patients accompanied with hepatitis B. CD8+ T cells (suppressor/cytotoxic T cells, Ts/Tc) in the liver were predominant in the two groups. In AS patients, marked hepatic fibrosis, a small number of T cell infiltration and slight hepatocellular degeneration and necrosis were observed. However, obvious hepatocellular degeneration and necrosis were seen in AS patients accompanied with hepatitis B, and 3 cases of them developed active liver cirrhosis. The results indicated immune response was weak in the liver in AS patients and Ts cells might be predominant in the subset of CD8+ T lymphocytes. Cellular immune response was relatively strong in AS patients accompanied with hepatitis B and the infiltrative CD8+ T lymphocytes might be mainly Tc cells.