Thymus-derived lymphocytes in type B acute viral hepatitis and healthy carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).

To assess thymus-derived (T) lymphocyte function in hepatitis B infection, lymphocytes from patients with type B acute viral hepatitis and healthy carriers of the hepatitis B surface antigen, were compared to normal controlss using phytohemagglutinin (PHA) -induced blast cell transformation and sheep-cell rosette formation. Overall cell (T lymphocyte) -mediated immune function was similar with these in vitro assays in all three groups, except for decreases in total T cells in isolated patients with acute disease. Consequently, if a defect in cellular immunity exists in normal controls with persistent hepatitis B infection, it is probably specific for the antigens of the hepatitis B virus and not related to a generalized impairment of T-lymphocyte function.