Expression of IL-2/IL-15Rβ on memory CD3 + CD8 + CD45RO + T cells in chronic hepatitis B patients undergoing antiviral treatment and its significance / 中华临床感染病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the expression of IL-2/IL-15 receptor β subunit (IL-2/IL-15Rβ) on memory CD3 + CD8 + CD45RO + T cells in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) receiving antiviral treatment and its significance. Methods:Sixty-eight patients with chronic active hepatitis B (CAHB) and 47 asymptomatic hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers attending in the Department of Infectious Diseases, the First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College from March 2019 to December 2020 were enrolled in the study; and 30 health subjects were also enrolled as healthy control group. Among 60 CAHB patients there were 30 cases with positive HBeAg and 30 cases with negative HBeAg. All CAHB patients received nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy, the HBV-related markers, Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and the expression of IL-2/IL-15Rβ on CD3 + CD8 + CD45RO + T cells were determined and compared between HBeAg-positive and negative patients, before and after treatment. Normal distribution measurement data among 3 groups were compared with One-way ANOVA; normal distribution measurement data between 2 groups were compared with paired samples t test; non-normal distribution measurement data between the two groups were compared with Mann-Whitney U test; Pearson’s correlation coefficient was performed for correlation analysis. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:The proportion of CD8 + CD45RO + T cells on PBMC CD3 + T cells in CAHB group [(8.6±3.7)%] was higher than that of asymptomatic HBV carriers group [(5.7±2.5)%] and healthy control group [(5.5±1.5)%] (all P<0.05). The expression percentage of IL-2/IL-15Rβ on PBMC CD3 + CD8 + CD45RO + T cells in CAHB group [(6.8±4.7)%] was higher than that of asymptomatic HBV carriers group [(4.7±2.8)%] and healthy control group [(4.3±2.2)%] (all P<0.05). The MFI of IL-2/IL-15Rβ on PBMC CD3 + CD8 + CD45RO + T cells in CAHB group (243±168) was higher than those of asymptomatic HBV carriers group (160±91) and healthy control group [160±63] (all P<0.05). The expression percentage and MFI of IL-2/IL-15Rβ on PBMC CD3 + CD8 + CD45RO + T cells were positively correlated with the percentage of CD3 + CD8 + CD45RO + T cells in CAHB patients ( r=0.33 and 0.28, all P<0.05). The proliferation percentage of PBMC CD3 + CD8 + CD45RO + T cells in CAHB group[ (43.7±16.0)%] was higher than that of asymptomatic HBV carriers group [(29.1±9.4)%] and healthy control group [(26.8±9.6)%] after stimulation with Anti-CD3+ super-2 (all P<0.05). After the expression of IL-2/IL-15Rβ was blocked, the proliferation percentage of CD3 + CD8 + CD45RO + T cells was decreased [(11.2±6.3)%] compared with the untreated CAHB group ( P<0.05). The percentages of PBMC CD3 + CD8 + CD45RO + T cells secreting IFN-γ, IL-2 and TNF-α in CAHB group were (13.8±5.4)%, (14.0±4.3)% and (12.3±4.6)% respectively, which were higher than those of asymptomatic HBV carriers [(8.4±2.6)%, (9.4±3.2)% and (6.8±3.3)%] and healthy control group [(6.9±2.7)%, (9.9±3.0)% and (7.7±3.8)%] after stimulation with Anti-CD3+ super-2 (all P<0.05). After the expression of IL-2/IL-15Rβ was blocked, the percentages of PBMC CD3 + CD8 + CD45RO + T cells secreting IFN-γ [(2.4±1.6)%], IL-2 [(4.1±1.9)%] and TNF-α [(4.1±1.8)%] were decreased compared with the untreated CAHB group (all P<0.05). HBeAg, ALT, the expression percentage and MFI of IL-2/IL-15Rβ on CD3 + CD8 + CD45RO + T cells were 521.4 (68.9, 1 339.0) COI, 292 (160, 528) U/L, (6.4±3.2)% and (239±136) in 30 HBeAg-positive CAHB patients before treatment, which were higher than those after treatment [3.5(1.5, 17.5)COI、20(14, 31) U/L, (4.1±2.4)% and (134±58)] ( Z=5.337 and 6.403, t=3.229 and 3.892, all P<0.05). HBsAg, ALT, the expression percentage and MFI of IL-2/IL-15Rβ on CD3 + CD8 + CD45RO + T cells were (5 310±2 851) COI, (328±207) U/L, (7.1±5.8)% and (252±110) in 30 HBeAg-negative CAHB patients before treatment, which were higher than those after 48 weeks of treatment [(3 811±2 495) COI, (33±14) U/L, (4.6±2.9)% and (154±73)] ( t=2.167, 5.595, 2.116 and 2.383, all P<0.05). Conclusion:The study suggests that up-regulated expression of IL-2/IL-15Rβ is associated with elevated frequency, proliferation and secretion function of memory CD3 + CD8 + CD45RO + T cells in CAHB patients.