Characterization of hepatic lymphocytes in patients with viral hepatitis and other liver diseases.

The mechanism of developing chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C, rather
than clearing acute infection, is not fully understood but is likely
multifactorial. Both chronic hepatitis B and C infection are associated with
impairment of the innate and adaptive immune responses and are associated with
narrow and weak T cell responses. The function of T cells in viral hepatitis
has largely been obtained by studying low numbers of peripheral blood T cells.
However, as hepatitis C and hepatitis B are hepatotrophic viruses,
virus-specific T cells accumulate in the human liver. Due to different
homeostatic circumstances and antigen environment in the target organ, residing
T cells may have altered functional characteristics and phenotype. As such
little is known about general and virus-specific immune responses in the
liver.
The aim of this study is to investigate the T cell immune system in the liver
which could provide insights into mechanisms of failure of viral control and/or
the development liver damage.

To study phenotypic and functional characteristics of hepatic lymphocytes in
patients with viral hepatitis or other liver related diseases.

This is an interventional study with a once-only intervention of blood
collection performed in patients that undergo a liverresection or
transplantation. Of the resected specimen 5-15 gram of liver tissue, redundant
for pathological/histological investigation, will be used for analysis.

Patients that are included in the study will donate 5 tubes of 9 ml blood once
only 1-2 weeks before surgery.

Potential physical discomfort associated with participation are the burden of
in total 69 ml of blood samples that will be taken once-only. These samples
will be taken when the patient is admitted to hospital and awaiting surgery.
The liverspecimen used for this study will by no means alter or influence
surgery procedures or outcome. Only tissue redundant for pathologic examination
will be used (this tissue had to be removed as part of the surgery).