NORMAL HBSAG PRESENTATION AND T-CELL DEFECT IN THE IMMUNE-RESPONSE OF NONRESPONDERS

Lymphocytes from nonresponders to HBsAg fail to proliferate in vitro in the presence of HBsAg-pulsed antigen presenting cells. We studied four pairs of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-matched, mixed lymphocyte reaction-negative individuals discordant for HBsAg response. For each pair, responder lymphocytes proliferated in the presence of nonresponder antigen pulsed antigen presenting cells. Responder and nonresponder antigen presenting cells were equally effective. There was no evidence for inhibition of responder T-cell proliferation by nonresponder lymphocytes or antigen presenting cells, The defect is thus in the helper T cells of nonresponders and not in the antigen processing or binding of processed peptides to MHC molecules on antigen presenting cells.