Thirty-nine patients with chronic HBV infection and 38 normal persons were investigated by simultaneous assay of T suppressor cell function and enumeration of T-lymphocyte subsets by monoclonal antibodies. In patients with chronic active hepatitis B (CAH-B), T suppressor cell activity (17.8 +/- 8.8%) was significantly lower than in healthy HBsAg carriers (35.4 +/- 12.3%) and normal control pers...
