The association between antigen-specific cytotoxic lymphocytes response and different clinical status in patients with hepatitis B / 中华传染病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyze human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-A0201 restricted antigen-specific cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTL), and to investigate the difference of T cell response to specific antigen epitopes between patients with acute phase of acute hepatitis B and active phase of chronic hepatitis B. Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 5 patients with acute phase of acute hepatitis B and 6 patients with active phase of chronic hepatitis B were isolated. The numbers and functions of CD8+ T-lymphocyte epitope peptide specific CTL were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot (ELISPOT) assay, and the 3 peptides were from HBV polymerase region (Pol575-583), envelope region (Env348-357) and core region (Core18-27), respectively. The data were analyzed using t test. Results The spot formation cell counts (SFC) of Pol575-583, Env348-357 and Core18-27 stimulations in patients with acute phase of acute hepatitis B were 110±13, 165±17 and 185±20, respectively; and those in patients with active phase of chronic hepatitis B were 22±4, 23±5 and 30±5, respectively; the differences were all significant (t=10.9, 15.2 and 8.0, respectively, all P<0.05). The CTL responses to the three peptides in patients with acute phase of acute hepatitis B were Pol575-583<Env348-357<Core18-27; and the difference between responses to Pol575-583 and Core18-27 was significant (t=4.0, P<0.05), while there was no statistical difference between CTL responses to Env348-357 and Core18-27 (P>0.05). The SFC were increased upon non-antigen specific HLA-A2404 restricted epitope (Core117-125), but the difference was not significant compared with negative control group (P>0.05). Conclusions Hepatitis B virus-specific CTL responses in patients with acute hepatitis B are significantly higher than those in patients with chronic hepatitis B. The number and function of polyclonal CTL are both impaired in patients with chronic hepatitis B.