VIRAL HEPATITIS Usefulness of liver infiltrating CD86-positive mononuclear cells for diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis

AIM: Although the pathogenic mechanism underlying autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) remains unclear, the immune system is thought to be critical for the progression of the disease. Cellular immune responses may be linked to the hepatocellular damage in AIH. Recently, much attention has been focused on the critical functions of costimulatory molecules expressed on mononuclear cells in the generation of effective T cell-mediated immune responses. Analysis of costimulatory molecule expressed on mononuclear cells from the patients with AIH may give us insight into the pathogenic mechanism of hepatocellular damage in AIH. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were taken from the patients with AIH (34 cases) an