BACKGROUND/AIMS: Characteristics of the intrahepatic virus-specific T-cell response in
patients with acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection have not been studied due to the risk of
complications associated with standard liver biopsies. In this study we aimed to characterize
the virus-specific CD8+ T-cell response in the liver of patients with acute HBV infection using
fine-needle aspiration-biopsy (FNAB). METHODS: In HLA-A2 positive patients with acute
HBV infection a FNAB was performed at first presentation, at the time of HBsAg …