Cell-mediated immunity to HBcAg and HBsAg in patients with chronic hepatitis.

The leukocyte adherence technique (LAT) has been utilized to assess cell-mediated immunity (CMI) to HBcAg and HBsAg in patients with chronic (CH) and acute viral (AVH) hepatitis. All patients with AVH type B and 91.6% of patients with HBV-related CH displayed reactivity to both HBcAg and HBsAg, whereas healthy controls and patients with liver disease not related to HBV failed to show reactivity to these antigens. Four of 6 laboratory workers who had been exposed to HBsAg and had no signs of hepatitis and 2 of 17 patients with CH unrelated to HBV who received multiple transfusions exhibited reactivity to HBsAg, while reactivity to HBcAg was seen only in 2 laboratory workers and in 1 patient with CH unrelated to HBV. These results suggest that according to the LAT, reactivity to HBcAg is present in patients with AVH and CH and may be related to the etiology of the disease, whereas reactivity to HBsAg alone indicates previous exposure to HBV.