The dendritic cell subsets function and the cytokines levels in plasma change in different period in patients with HBV infection / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>We studied the function of dendritic cells subsets and the cytokines levels in plasma in patients with different periods of returning (immune tolerance, hepatitis active and non-replicating period) and aimed to explore the possible reasons for HBV chronic infection.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty HBV infected patients in different stages of infection were enrolled and divided into three groups: the immune tolerance group (10 cases), the hepatitis active group (10 cases), and the non-replicating group (10 cases). Ten healthy people were enrolled and served as controls. Blood from the patients and controls were collected and the dendritic cells subsets function (The cytokine levels in different groups) were analyzed using statistical method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total IL-12 output and single nucleus IL-12 output of the total HBV infected patients were lower than that of the healthy control group (P value less than 0.01). The total IFNa output and single nucleus IFNa output of the total HBV infected patients had no significant difference between the total HBV infected patients and the healthy controls (P value more than 0.05). The total IL-12 output of the healthy control group was higher than that in others 3 groups of the HBV infected patients. (Z = -3.039, -2.967 ,-2.949, P value less than 0.01) and the single nucleus IL-12 output of the healthy control group was also higher than that in others 3 groups of the HBV infected patients. (Z =-3.027, -2.671 , -2.863, P value less than 0.01) . The total IFNa output and the single nucleus IFNa output of the healthy control group was higher than that in the hepatitis active group of HBV infected patients (Z = -3.016, -3.176, P value less than 0.01). While the plasma IFNa cytokine levels in the 3 HBV infection groups were higher than in the healthy control group (Z = -2.967, -2.896, -3.054, P value less than 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Difference existed between the function of dendritic cells subsets and the IFNa levels in different returning periods of HBV infected patients. The function of dendritic cells subsets has no significant difference in HBV patients with different periods of returning. The flawed function of dendritic cells subsets and the abnormal IFNa level may be one of the reasons for chronic HBV infection.</p>

Quantitive changes of circulating myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cell subsets in HBV infected patients during different periods of their infection / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the quantities of myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cell (mDC, pDC) subsets associated with different blood virus loads (HBV DNA) in patients in different periods of HBV infection (immune tolerance, immune activities and non-replicating periods).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty HBV infected patients in different stages of infection were enrolled. They were divided into three groups: an immune tolerance group (10 cases), an immunization activities group (10 cases), and a non-replication group (10 cases). Ten healthy people were enrolled and served as controls. Blood (10 ml) from the patients and the controls were collected and the numbers of dendritic cells (DC) in percentage were counted using flow cytometry. The numbers of mDC and pDC were counted and the relevance of them with their blood virus loads (HBV DNA) was analyzed using statistical methods.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) Absolute values of mDC, pDC percentage and pDC absolute value of the HBV infected patients were lower than those of the healthy control group (P less than 0.05). mDC percentage of the HBV infected patients was a little lower than that of the healthy controls but of no statistical significance (P more than 0.05). (2) The percentage of mDC in the healthy controls was higher than that in the tolerance group (P less than 0.05) and its absolute value in the healthy control group was higher than those in the immune tolerance group and the immune activities group (P less than 0.05). pDC percentage of the healthy control group was higher than those of the immune activities and non-reproduction groups (P less than 0.05). pDC absolute value of the healthy control group was higher than those of the immune tolerance, immune activities and non-reproduction groups (P less than 0.05). (3) The pDC counts in the tolerance group were negatively correlated with HBV DNA levels (r = -0.686, P less than 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>(1) DC frequency and counts of HBV infected patients in different periods decreased. The immune active group decreased significantly more than the healthy control group (P less than 0.05). (2) pDC counts show a negative correlation with HBV DNA levels in only the tolerance group.</p>

A clinical analysis of HBV reactivation in patients with malignant tumors / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the anti-viral therapy effect on HBV reactivation in malignant tumor patients and hepatitis B virus carriers after their cancer chemotherapy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirteen cancer patients but also chronic hepatitis B virus carriers were enrolled in this study. They were randomly put into two groups. Eight patients were put in the therapeutic group. They all had abnormal liver functions induced by the reactivation of HBV after their cancer chemotherapy. Then they were treated with lamivudine. The other 5 cases were treated with lamivudine before their cancer chemotherapy when their serum HBV DNA levels were less than 10(3) copies/ml (preventive therapeutic group). The two groups were followed-up with liver function tests and serum HBV DNA level measurements.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 8 cases of the therapeutic group, 5 cases died of liver failure; cancer chemotherapy was postponed or even terminated in 3 patients due to liver function abnormality and anti-virus treatment was started. In the preventive therapy group, no HBV reactivation was observed in any of the 5 cases.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>For HBV carrier cancer patients, an anti-viral therapy before their cancer chemotherapy seems to be very important.</p>

Use of glucocorticoid in treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome cases / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of glucocorticoid in the treatment for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of 70 patients with SARS admitted to Youan Hospital in Beijing during March to May, 2003 were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) Sixty-three of 70 cases of SARS recovered and seven cases died, with a case-fatality ratio of 10%. (2) Average length of hospital stay was 16.9 days for the all 70 cases, and 16.8 days for the 11 cases without glucocorticoid treatment, without statistical significance (F = 1.018, P = 0.39). (3) The other 59 cases were administered with 40 mg to 640 mg of methylprednisolone daily. (4) Average hospital stay was 15 days for the 23 cases with lower dose of 40 mg to 80 mg methylprednisolone daily, 18.5 days for the 27 cases with medium dose of 120 mg to 240 mg daily, and 17.9 days for the nine cases with higher dose of 320 mg to 640 mg daily (F = 1.018, P = 0.39).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Earlier use of glucocorticoid therapy with suitable doses could alleviate their clinical symptoms, improve their clinical courses, and promote the absorbance of infiltration in their lungs on chest-X-ray films for the cases with SARS. However, current clinical data showed that glucocorticoid therapy could not shorten the length of hospitalization for the cases with SARS.</p>