[The study of expansion and function HBV special interferon-γ secreting human T lymphocytes in vitro].

AIM: To expand HBV special interferon-γ secreting human T lymphocytes in vitro and sustain the ability to recognize special T cell epitodes of HBcAg. METHODS: After stimulated by peptide 22 hours, feeded with autologous peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( PBMCs) deproliferated by mitomycin C and low concentration of IL-2 to expand in vitro for other 4 weeks. Then cells were collected and tested by flow cells assay every week. The ability of these cells to recognize special epitodes was tested by enzyme linked immunospot assay in which autologous lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) produced from PBMC was transfected by epstein-barr virus pulsed with peptides and used as target cell. RESULTS: HBV special interferon-secreting human T lymphocytes were selected and expanded more than 1000 times in vitro. The ability of the T cells to recognize special epitodes is as same as unexpanded cells and the proportion of CD4 and CD8 positive cells likely remained native state. CONCLUSION: HBV special interferon-γ secreting T lymphocytes are effectively expanded in vitro and keep the ability to recognize stringently special T cell epotides.