Tsai S.-L.PEI-JER CHENHwang L.-H.JIA-HORNG KAOHuang J.-H.Chang T.-H.Chen D.-S.2021-07-032021-07-0319940168-8278https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0028067268&doi=10.1016%2fS0168-8278%2805%2980320-4&partnerID=40&md5=56e0117207bcf7d80a9b382aaa1914a7https://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/568899The immune responses to a hepatitis C virus nonstructural protein (T3Ag) overlapping with the C100-3 antigen were examined in three groups of patients with chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis. Group I included 20 cases positive for both anti-C100-3 and the second-generation anti-HCV test (anti-HCV-II); Group II, five cases with anti-C100-3(-)/anti-HCV-II(+); and Group III, seven cases negative for both tests. HCV RNA was detectable in 20 (100%), 4 (80%) and 0 (0%) patients in each group, respectively. Proliferative responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to T3Ag were present in 16 (80%), 3 (60%) and 0 (0%) cases in each group, respectively (p<0.05). Removal of CD8+ T cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells resulted in a conversion of unresponsiveness to significant proliferation to T3Ag in the remaining cases in groups I and II, but not in group III. This change paralleled the antigen-induced production of interferon-γ and interleukin-2, but not interleukin-4. The removal also enhanced the T3Ag-stimulated anti-C100-3 antibody production from cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells in group II patients. These results indicate that the T3Ag-specific type 1 T helper cells play an important role in regulating anti-C100-3 antibody secretion in hepatitis C patients. ? 1994 Journal of Hepatology.Anti-C100-3 antibody; Hepatitis C virus; Non-structural protein; Type 1 T helper cell[SDGs]SDG3gamma interferon; interleukin 2; virus antibody; virus protein; adult; aged; antibody production; article; clinical article; controlled study; female; helper cell; hepatitis c; hepatitis c virus; human; immune response; male; priority journal; Adult; Aged; Antigens, Viral; Base Sequence; Cells, Cultured; Chronic Disease; DNA, Viral; Female; Hepacivirus; Hepatitis Antibodies; Hepatitis C; Hepatitis C Antibodies; Human; Interferon Type II; Interleukin-2; Interleukin-4; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Male; Middle Age; Molecular Sequence Data; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Recombinant Proteins; RNA, Viral; Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Viral Nonstructural Proteinsjournal article10.1016/S0168-8278(05)80320-475307382-s2.0-0028067268