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Effect of interferon‐γ on hepatitis B viral antigen expression in primary hepatocyte culture
Author(s) -
Lau Johnson Y. N.,
Bain Vincent G.,
Naoumov Nikolai V.,
Smith Heather M.,
Alexander Graeme J. M.,
Williams Roger
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.488
H-Index - 361
eISSN - 1527-3350
pISSN - 0270-9139
DOI - 10.1002/hep.1840140604
Subject(s) - hbsag , interferon , hepatitis b virus , hbeag , antigen , radioimmunoassay , virology , virus , biology , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , endocrinology
Interferon‐α has been shown recently to selectively enhance hepatocyte expression of HBsAg/pre‐S 2 in chronic hepatitis B virus infection in a way that may enhance immune recognition. To determine the effect of interferon‐γ on hepatitis B virus antigen expression, hepatocytes isolated from patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection were incubated in the absence or presence of interferon‐γ and viral antigen expression was assessed by both radioimmunoassay and immunocytochemistry using appropriate monoclonal antibodies. Interferon‐γ inhibited the expression of all hepatitis B virus antigens tested. Intracellular HBsAg measured by radioimmunoassay of sonicated hepatocytes fell by 29% with 1 U/ml (p < 0.01) and 36% with 10 U/ml of interferon‐γ (p < 0.001) compared with control treatment. Secreted HBsAg was reduced by 19% with 10 U/ml of interferon‐γ (p < 0.01). Intracellular HBeAg was also decreased by 29% with 1 U/ml (p < 0.05) and 42% with 10 U/ml of interferon‐γ (p < 0.05), but no significant change was found in the amount of secreted HBeAg. The proportion of hepatocytes containing various hepatitis B virus antigens and the intracellular viral antigen staining densities also fell significantly with interferon‐γ incubation. Interestingly, the addition of interferon‐γ abolished the augmenting effect of interferon‐α on intracellular HBsAg. These data indicate that interferon‐γ, in contrast to interferon‐α, has an inhibitory effect on hepatocyte expression of all hepatitis B virus antigens including HBsAg/pre‐S 2 , suggesting that this may be one factor that accounts for their difference in clinical activity in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. (H EPATOLOGY 1991;14:975–979.)