Liver histological changes in chronic hepatitis B patients with elevated ALT less than 2 x ULN / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relevant factors of liver histological changes in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with mildly elevated ALT and to explore the clinical values of these factors on anti-viral treatment.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 152 CHB patients with mildly elevated ALT (less than 2 x ULN) who underwent liver biopsy were included in the study. Correlations between routine laboratory markers, liver histological inflammation grade and fibrosis stage were statistically assessed by Spearman correlation analysis, one-way ANOVA, area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) and Logistic regression statistical analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All patients in the study showed various hepatic histological damages. Among the 152 patients 50 (32.9%) were found with inflammation grade 1 (G1), 42 (27.6%) with G2, 46 (30.3%) with G3 and 14 (9.2%) with G4. 16 patients (10.5%) were found with fibrosis stage 2 (S2), 25 (16.5%) with S3 and 41 (27.0%) with S4. Routine laboratory markers Alb, BPC and WBC were significantly correlated with hepatic histological inflammation grade and fibrosis stage. Marked liver fibrosis and moderate to severe liver damage were significantly higher in patients aged more than 40 years as compared to those less than 40 years of age (P = 0.002, P = 0.010). The regression equation P = 1/[1+e-(9.36250-1625Alb-0.0234BPC)] was established with sensitivity and specificity of 83.3% and 65.0%, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>67.8% of CHB patients with mildly elevated ALT have significant injury to the liver tissue. CHB patients aged more than 40 years have a significant increase of marked liver fibrosis and moderate to severe liver damage. The regression equation is valuable to predict whether CHB patients need antiviral therapy or not.</p>

Clinical significance and detection of the expression of CD25- CD127- on CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood in patients with hepatitis B / 中华实验和临床病毒学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the clinical significance and detection of the expression of CD25- CD127- on CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood in patients with hepatitis B.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of CD25- CD127- on CD4+ T cells were measured by using flow cytometry in 53 patients with chronic hepatitis B, 53 carrier with hepatitis B virus and 26 healthy blood donors, and follow up 20 patients with HBV-DNA positive treated with interferon.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) Compared with healthy controls, the expression of CD25- CD127- on CD4+ T cells in patients and carrier with hepatitis B virus were lower (Q = 4.559, P < 0.05; Q = 6.230, P < 0.05). (2) The expression of CD25- CD127- on CD4+ T cells in patients with HBV-DNA positive (n = 77) was lower than that of negative (n = 29) (t = 2.290, P = 0.024). (3) Compared with the prior treatment,the expression of CD25- CD127- on CD4+ T cells in patients with B hepatitis were lower after interferon treated with 12 weeks (t = 2.469, P = 0.024).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>It suggested that the CD25- CD127- expression on CD4+ T cells correlated with viral infections and cleared,exogenous interferon could decrease CD25- CD127- expression on CD4+ T cells.</p>