Study on CD4~+CD25~+ regulatory T cells and CD4~+,CD8~+ T lymphocyte subgroup in peripheral blood of patients with chronic hepatitis B / 中国免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the quantification of CD4~+CD25~+ regulatory T cells and distribution of CD4~+CD8~+ T lymphocyte subgroup in peripheral blood of patients in chronic hepatitis B (CHB),and to reveal relationship between CD4~+CD25~+ regulatory T cells,CD4~+CD8~+ T lymphocyte subgroup and HBV infetion as well.Methods:CD4~+CD25~(high),CD4~+CD25~+Foxp3~+Treg and CD3~+CD4~+CD8~+T lymphocyte subgroup in peripheral blood from 50 patients with CHB and 20 healthy controls was analyzed using flow cytometry.HBV DNA was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR.Results:The number of CD4~+CD25~(high)Tregs in patients with CHB was obviously higher than that in healthy controls(P＜0.01)and increased with copies of HBV DNA.The same with the change of CD4~+CD25~+Foxp3~+Tregs in patients with CHB and there was a positive correlation between CD4~+CD25~(high)Tregs and CD4~+CD25~+Foxp3~+Tregs(r=0.890,P＜0.001).Compared with healthy controls,the frequency of CD4~+T cells and the ratio of CD4~+/CD8~+ in patients with CHB was declined,but there was no significant difference in the frequency of CD3~+T cells and CD8~+T cells between them(P＞0.05).The variation in the number of CD4~+CD25~(high)Tregs was correlated positively with the copies of HBV DNA(r=0.782,P＜0.001)and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase(ALT)(r=0.432,P＜0.005)separately,but negatively with the frequency of CD3~+,CD4~+,CD8~+T cells and the ratio of CD4~+/CD8~+(P＞0.05).The variation in the frequency of CD3~+,CD4~+,CD8~+T cells and the ratio of CD4~+/CD8~+ was also correlated negatively with the copies of HBV DNA(P＞0.05).Conclusion:The number of CD4~+CD25~(high)Tregs increases in patients with CHB and is in accordance with the copies of HBV DNA and increased level of ALT.Further studies should be done to investigate weather CD4~+CD8~+ T lymphocyte subgroup could be used to monitor the state of community.