Immune status of individuals with differing clinical courses of HBV infection.

The immune reactivity of individuals with 3 types of clinical hepatitis B virus infection and a normal control group were compared. The groups studied were individuals with acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, chronic carriers and normal controls. Although the groups differed in terms of the number of circulating lymphocytes, T cells, B cells, calculated helper (CD4+)/suppressor (CD8+) ratios as well as skin test reactivity to a panel of widely recognized antigens, no consistent pattern was recognized for any group and responses observed did not support current hypotheses with the goal to explain the different clinical patterns of HBV infection.