Analysis of the CD4+ CD25high regulatory T cells in peripheral blood of chronic hepatitis B virus in fected patients / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyze of CD4+ CD25high regulatory T cells(Treg)in peripheral blood of chronic HBV patients and its correlation with multiple clinical indicators.Methods Thirty-five hepatitis B virus(HBV)infected patients in this study were divided into four different clinical types:HBsAb+group(n=5),inactive hepatitis group(n=8),chronic hepatitis group(n=12),and immune tolerance group(n=10).The number of CD4+CD25high Treg and related T cells subgroup in CD3/CD4/CD8 was thoroughly examined by flow cytometry in peripheral blood of HBV infected patients and the healthy contrast group(n=12).Serum HBV markers were determined by commercial ELISA kits.Serum HBV DNA was quantified by commercial real-time PCR kit.Statistical differences were studied to investigate the correlations between CD4+CD25high Treg and different clinical types of HBV infection and clinical indicators.Results The absolute counts of CD25high Treg and its frequency in CD4+ T cells were similar between HBV infected patients [(12.35±6.48)/μ,(1.82±0.87)%]and health controls[(8.91±3.11)/μl,(1.35±0.39)%],P＞0.05.The frequency of CD25high Treg in CD4+ T cells from the immune tolerance group was significantly higher than that of the HBsAb+ group,chronic hepatitis group,and the healthy contrast group(P＜0.05).The absolute counts of CD25high Treg from the immune tolerance group were significantly higher than the healthy control group(P＜0.05),and the frequency of CD25high Treg in CD4+ T cells is negatively correlated to the ALT level(r=-0.418,P=0.038),positively correlated to CD4/CD8 ratio(r=0.344,P=0.021),no correlation to the HBV DNA level(r=0.118,P＞0.05).The absolute counts of CD25high Treg were positively correlated to CD4/CD8 ratio(r=0.360,P=0.015),no correlation to ALT level and HBV DNA level(r=-0.211,r=0.060,P＞0.05).Conclusion CD4+ CD25high Treg may play a role in immunopathogenesis of chronic HBV infection.