Hepatitis B surface antigen-specific CD8-positive T cell clones. Antigen specificity and interleukin-2 production.

Clones of hepatitis B surface antigen-reactive CD8+ and CD4+ T cells were obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM) of a hepatitis B immunized individual whose PBM proliferated when cultured with hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Lymphocytes were activated by culturing for 2 weeks with HBsAg and high concentrations of interleukin-2 (IL-2), then cloned in the presence of irradiated HBsAg-activated PBM and autologous Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed B cells, together with antigen and IL-2. All clones examined proliferated in an antigen-specific manner. Of 7 clones examined by flow cytometry, 4 were CD4+, CD8-; and 3 were CD4-, CD8+. Several clones produced IL-2 activity after stimulation with hepatitis B surface antigen. Since development of CD8+ T-cell clones specific for soluble antigens is difficult, the high frequency with which CD8+ cells were cloned in these experiments suggests that the cloning strategy employed might have general use for development of CD8+ clones. Availability of hepatitis B virus specific T cell clones of different phenotypes may help elucidate mechanisms of immunotolerance in hepatitis B infection.