Production of lymphokines by HBsAg-reactive human T cell clones upon antigenic stimulation.

The production of lymphokines by human HBsAg-reactive T cell clones was examined. The five clones were successfully obtained from an HBV-vaccinated person and were composed exclusively of Leu 1+, Leu 2a, Leu 3a+, helper/inducer T cells. Three of the five showed significant levels of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) production and all of the five produced B cell growth factor (BCGF) by stimulation with HBsAg but not with unrelated antigens, including influenza A virus antigens and PPD, whereas no detectable amount of interleukin-2 was found in all clone supernatants. The magnitude of HBsAg-induced cell proliferation did not parallel the levels of IFN-gamma production among the clones. These results indicate from the view of lymphokine production that the HBsAg-reactive helper/inducer T cell clones were heterogeneous even from a source of the peripheral blood sample, and further suggest that the clones play important roles in the immune reaction against HBV infection by producing lymphokines upon antigenic stimulation.