Expression and clinical significance of programmed cell death ligand 1in liver tissues of patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection / 中华传染病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate expressions of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) in hepatic tissues at the different stages of hepatitis B virus ( HBV) infection, and clarify its role in the mechanism of chronic hepatitis B virus infection. Methods The expressions of PD-L1 were detected by immunohistochemistry and computer image quantitative analysis in the hepatic tissues of 65 chronic HBV infected patients and 5 healthy controls. The correlations between PD-L1 expression and inflammatory grading in the hepatic tissues, total bilirubin (TBil), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), serum HBV DNA level were analyzed. Results The PD-L1 expressions in hepatic tissues of HBV infection with G0 - G4 inflammatory grades were 3. 07 % ±0.93%, 8.01%±1.49%, 11.60%±2.60%, 18.41%±2.21% and 26. 04% ±3. 41%, respectively,which were all significantly stronger than that in controls (0. 64%±0. 28%). PD-L1 expression was a positively correlated with inflammation grading of hepatitis tissues, TBil, ALT and AST level in serum (r=0. 917, 0. 787, 0. 483, 0. 628; all P<0. 05), and negatively correlated with serum HBV DNA load (r=-0. 620, P<0. 05). Conclusion The upregulated PD-L1 expression may be probably involved in the chronicity of HBV infection.