Serial observation of lymphocyte subpopulations and interleukin 2 production of T cells from patients with acute viral hepatitis and chronic active hepatitis.

T cell subpopulations and interleukin 2 (IL-2) production of T cells in peripheral blood from patients with acute viral hepatitis (AVH) and chronic active hepatitis (CAH) were studied to elucidate the change of T cells functions during the exacerbation of viral hepatitis. The ratio of the number of CD4-positive cells to CD8-positive cells (CD:CD8 ratio) was increased in many patients with AVH. During exacerbation of CAH, the CD4:CD8 ratio was higher than that during remission (p less than 0.01), due to a decrease in the number of CD8-positive cells. IL2 production of T cells in AVH and CAH with bridging necrosis was higher than that of T cells in normal controls (p less than 0.01, p less than 0.05, respectively). T cells from patients with CAH produced more IL2 during exacerbation than during remission (p less than 0.01). IL2 production of T cells and the CD4:CD8 ratio (p less than 0.005, p less than 0.01). The change in T cell subpopulations in AVH and during exacerbation of CAH was found to induce an immunological condition, in which T cells easily produce IL2, which induces a proliferation of cytotoxic T cells.